Chicago Bears select Noah Sewell in fifth round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears have drafted former Oregon LB Noah Sewell with the No. 148 overall selection in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Sewell had a standout year for the Ducks with 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception in 2022. As a sophomore, he was even more impressive, posting 114 tackles with four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. His efforts earned him first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2021 and second-team all-conference in 2022.

The 6-foot-1, 246-pound LB ran a 4.64 40-yard-dash while also posting a 33-inch vertical and a 9′ 7” broad jump, though his 27 reps on the bench press was second most out of all LBs at the NFL Combine last month.

Being nearly 250 pounds at his height was concerning to some scouts during his process, by Sewell says he uses his weight to his advantage. “I like to be unique with my weight. I can move around,” Sewell said during his pre-draft process. “I’m dynamic. I’m athletic and I think I bring a lot to the table with my weight.”

Coming out of Orem High School in Utah, Sewell was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 20 overall recruit in the 2020 signing class and the No. 4 linebacker, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

Sewell’s brother, Penei, was a former first-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 2021, going No. 7 overall. Their other brother, Nephi Sewell, was most recently a member of the New Orleans Saints practice squad.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Noah Sewell

NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein provided the following analysis of Sewell, but did not offer a historical comparison to the former Duck.

“Inside ‘backer possessing throwback demeanor as a physical but limited prospect,” Zierlein wrote about the former Oregon star. “Sewell has good power to take on blocks and muddy the middle, but his lack of pursuit speed and change-of-direction quickness prevent him from consistently making the stop. He needs to become more anticipatory and read play development more effectively, as he’s missing the tools necessary to overcome missteps.”

Sewell’s strengths include outstanding size, hand strength, block shedding and improved tackle consistency between his final two seasons at Oregon. His weaknesses see him lack instinct, functional speed, fails to locate peripheral blockers and has very little range when tasked with coverage, per Zierlein’s report.