There are currently 37 active NFL players who played all or at least part of their high school football in the state of Utah.
Two of those athletes, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Puka Nacua, appeared high on Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 25 NFL players under the age of 25 heading into the 2024 season, and for good reason.
Sewell, who prepped at Desert Hills, came in at No. 1 on Zoltan Buday’s list.
Nacua, the former BYU and Orem High star who started his college career at Washington, was No. 12 overall.
Why did these two make the list?
Making the case for Penei Sewell
The 23-year-old Sewell was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and he’s been a Day 1 starter for the Detroit Lions at right tackle.
Sewell earned Pro Bowl honors each of the past two seasons and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career in the 2023 season.
He’s also allowed just three sacks over the last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.
Last month, Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million extension that includes $85 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, that keeps him in Detroit through the 2029 season.
He’s one of only three offensive linemen on the top 25 under 25 list.
“Although Sewell has already played three seasons in the NFL, he is still only 23 years old and will not turn 24 until October. His 3,359 regular-season snaps over the past three seasons rank second among all players, and he is on his way to becoming the best offensive lineman in the league,” Buday wrote about Sewell.
“The Oregon product’s 92.8 PFF overall grade and 95.1 PFF run-blocking grade both led all NFL offensive linemen in 2023.”
Making the case for Puka Nacua
Unlike Sewell, the 22-year-old Nacua wasn’t a first-round selection. He, instead, was a fifth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams last year.
In his first season, though, Nacua made waves, setting the NFL rookie single-season record for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) while also scoring six touchdowns.
He finished second in the voting for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned Pro Bowl honors while also being named second-team All-Pro as a result.
Nacua was the fourth-highest wide receiver on Buday’s list — behind Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase (No. 4), the New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson (No. 8) and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 11).
To qualify for Buday’s list, players must not turn 25 before Week 1 of the 2024 season. That eliminates Minnesota star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who turns 25 next month.
“A fifth-round pick, Nacua exceeded all expectations as a rookie in Los Angeles. He played as a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL by almost any measure, and his 90.2 PFF overall grade ranked eighth at the position in 2023,” Buday wrote.
“Nacua averaged 5.9 yards after the catch in 2023, the fourth-best mark among wide receivers with 100-plus targets.”