Penei Sewell of the Lions is voted as the top tackle in the NFL by an AP panel

Penei Sewell has long been known as perhaps the top run-blocking tackle in the NFL . Once his work in pass protection took a step up, he moved himself into a different category.

The improvement in pass protection by Sewell last season, when he was named an All-Pro for the third straight season, helped him earn the honors as the top tackle in the NFL by The Associated Press.

A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at tackle, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

Sewell got three first-place votes and won the voting with 55 points. Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs got three first-place votes and finished second with 44 points. Denver's Garett Bolles got the other two first-place votes and came in third with 28 points. San Francisco's Trent Williams was fourth and Philadelphia's Jordan Mailata was fifth.

Philadelphia's Lane Johnson, Washington's Laremy Tunsil, the Chargers' Rashawn Slater, the Giants' Andrew Thomas and Chicago's Darnell Wright also received votes.

Sewell allowed pressure on just 3.3% of pass plays last season, according to Pro FootballFocus, to rank second among right tackles and fifth among all tackles. He was also the game's top run blocker at tackle as a key part of the running game for the Lions. Sewell's strong overall play helped him win the award as the top protector in the league last season from PFF.

After spending most of his first five seasons playing on the right side, Sewell will return to his college spot at left tackle this season as Detroit wants him protecting Jared Goff's blindside.

Wirfs made the switch from right side to left side in 2023 and became the first player to be an All-Pro at both spots since the AP began separating the positions in 2016.

Wirfs has excelled at both run and pass blocking over his career and has made the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons. He missed the start of last season recovering from a knee injury but quickly got back to his usual form.

Bolles entered the NFL as a first-round pick in 2017 and took a little time to develop into a top tackle. But Bolles has been the anchor of one of the top offensive lines the past few years in Denver and earned All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025.

Bolles allowed no sacks and only 19 pressures during the 2025 regular season, according to PFF.

Williams still performed at a high level last season at age 37 as he bounced back from an injury-plagued 2024 to help San Francisco get back to the playoffs. Williams is coming off his 12th Pro Bowl season — the most for any offensive tackle — and is two shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews’ record for an offensive lineman.

Williams made three straight All-Pro teams from 2021-23 before the injuries limited him to 10 games in 2024. He was healthy for most of last season, playing 16 games for the first time since 2013 when he once again was a dominant run blocker.

His pass blocking dropped off a bit with his 40 pressures allowed the most since his rookie season with Washington in 2010, according to PFF, but he remains a top player at his position.

Mailata is one of the best development stories in the modern NFL. The former Australian rugby star had never played American football before the Eagles drafted him in the seventh round in 2018. Under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s guidance, he’s become one of the best in the game.

Mailata earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024 and has been a steadying force on one of the more consistent lines in the NFL.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl