LOCALS IN THE NFL

Detroit Lions Select Former Desert Hills Star Penei Sewell With No. 7 Overall Pick In 2021 NFL Draft

Apr 29, 2021, 7:12 PM | Updated: 8:29 pm

Penei Sewell - Oregon Ducks...

Oregon (58) Penei Sewell (OL) celebrates after an Oregon touchdwon during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Detroit Lions selected former Desert Hills High and Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall pick during the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The first round of the NFL Draft took place in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, April 29.

Sewell was the first offensive lineman taken in the round.

Penei Sewell at Desert Hills

Before his time at University of Oregon, Sewell was a star player for the Desert Hills Thunder in St. George, Utah.

As a senior in high school, Sewell participated in the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl.

247Sports rated Sewell as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Utah for the 2018 class.

Penei Sewell at Oregon

As a freshman in 2018, Sewell was an immediate starter for the Ducks. He played in seven contests during his first season in Eugene, Oregon.

In 2019, Sewell played in 14 games and helped Oregon win the Pac-12 Championship. He also helped the Ducks win the Rose Bowl Game against Wisconsin.

Sewell was honored with the Outland Trophy for his outstanding play as a sophomore.

The Outland Trophy is presented annually to the best interior lineman in college football.

Rather than play in 2020, Sewell opted out of playing as a junior because of the coronavirus pandemic. During the year off, Sewell prepared for the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft takes place from April 29-May 1. Click here to learn more about how to watch, stream, or listen to coverage of the NFL Draft.

Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).

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Detroit Lions Select Former Desert Hills Star Penei Sewell With No. 7 Overall Pick In 2021 NFL Draft