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Road to the Draft

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O'HARA: Draft board falls Lions' way in first round

What you saw in the Detroit Lions' draft room when it was official that they'd gotten offensive tackle Penei Sewell in the draft wasn't a staged celebration for the cameras.

That was real emotion.

Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been on a good roll since they arrived in town together as general manager and head coach respectively of the Detroit Lions.

Getting Sewell with the seventh pick in the first round kept them rolling. The board fell their way in the first six picks, and their planning and preparation had them in position to cash in on it.

As good as they felt about their first pick, it's business as usual on Day 2 and beyond.

"We're going to stick to the same plan we had at seven, or if we'd possibly moved in any direction," Holmes said.

"We're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into, 'We have to get this position or that position. If it's another offensive lineman who's a high impact player, then it's another offensive lineman.

"We're going to make sure we get the most competitive players we can. That's the way we're going to go."

As clinical as Holmes sounded, there was no doubt that he was elated over the result of the first round.

They got the player they wanted -- the best offensive lineman in the draft -- who upgrades an offensive line from good to potential top-five status.

And as a bonus, Sewell has the attitude that fits what Holmes and Campbell look for when they consider the intangible qualities in the scouting process.

Sewell had said before the draft that he plays with "violent intentions."

View photos of the Lions' 1st round pick, Penei Sewell, OL - Oregon.

Campbell said in an interview with FOX 2 that he knew Sewell would fall to the Lions when the Dolphins were in the process of taking wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the sixth pick overall.

"We knew it right when Miami made their pick," Campbell said. "We knew exactly what was going down. We didn't have to worry about anything else.

"That was our guy. This is a big man who can move.

"He's a cornerstone player, man. He's somebody you can build a team around, and that's exactly why we got him."

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