Noah Sewell Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

Noah Sewell Scouting Report: Oregon Ducks, Linebacker, #1

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

6’1 1/2″ / 246 lbs.

Noah Sewell 40 Time – 4.64

 

Noah Sewell Draft Profile

Sewell is a former 5-star recruit out of Orem High School in Orem, Utah. According to 247sports, Sewell was graded as the best prospect in the state of Utah. He was also ranked as the 2nd best inside linebacker and the 19th-best prospect in the nation. In the 2020 recruiting class, Sewell was ranked behind several players who will be taken in the top ten of the 2023 NFL Draft. Some of these players include Bryce Young, Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, and Paris Johnson Jr. While achieving this status, Sewell received offers from 33 Division I programs. Some of these schools include Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon. After visiting Georgia and Oregon, Noah decided to join his brother Penei at the University of Oregon. Sewell got to see the field immediately upon arrival in Oregon.

According to ESPN, in his true freshman season, he played in 7 games. In those games, he recorded 44 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. As a sophomore, he was a full-time starter and recorded 114 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 5 PBUs. After watching this season, I was very excited to see what he could do in the 2022 season. Unfortunately, I was let down because his production went down drastically. During this season, he recorded 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, and 3 PBUs.

 

Noah Sewell Strengths

 

Positional Versatility

When watching his film, it was sometimes difficult to find where Sewell was lined up on the field because he lined up all over the field. Oregon runs a 4-3 defense that primarily runs zone coverage. When lined up in zone coverage, he has lined up as a SAM, MIKE, and WILL. Regardless of where he lined up, he showed off his ability to cover his zone anywhere on the field. Sewell often lined up on the line as well when they were blitzing 5 or 6 people.

Power

 

Sewell is well above the average size of a linebacker in the NFL. He stands at 6’1 1/2″ and weighs 246 lbs. which allows him to use his size to bring down the ball carrier anywhere on the field. It also allows him to deliver powerful hits that can knock the ball loose and force a turnover. His size also allows him to hold his ground when engaged in blocks. By holding his ground, he can clog run lanes and force the ball carrier to go elsewhere. He can also use it to his advantage when he is rushing the passer. As I mentioned earlier, his lower body strength and pad level allow him to knock blockers back into the pocket and apply pressure on the QB.

 

Vision

Prior to the snap, Sewell does a good job of diagnosing the offense and communicating with his teammates. When dropping back into coverage, he is good at keeping his eye on the ball. This allows him to read where the ball is going and close out on the ball carrier or intended target. Additionally, his vision also allows him to find the ball carrier when they are running up the middle. Then he can deliver a powerful hit and potentially force a turnover.

Pass Rush

Although Sewell is solid when he is lined up as a 4-3 linebacker, I am very impressed with his pass-rush ability when he is lined up on the defensive line. When he is lined up as an edge rusher, he shows solid athleticism to apply pressure on the QB. He does this by using his size to drive the blocker back into the pocket. Sewell also has shown glimpses of being able to run the arc and force the QB up in the pocket, allowing is teammates to make a play.

 

Noah Sewell Weaknesses

2022 Season

As I briefly mentioned earlier, his 2022 season was very underwhelming given how well he performed in 2021. During this season, he only recorded 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, and 3 PBUs. After seeing his production this season, I am concerned with how he will do in the NFL and if he will be able to consistently perform in a more difficult league. Until he proves otherwise, I do not believe that he has the ability to be productive in the NFL.

Agility

One of the biggest concerns that I have about Noah Sewell is his lack of agility all over the field. When in coverage, the range that he can cover is very limited due to his agility. This makes it very easy for receivers to find a seam between zones and be wide open for an easy catch. His agility also hinders his ability to consistently stop the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage. In open space, he also struggles to bring down elusive running backs because he does not have enough lateral agility.

Shedding Blocks

Although Noah Sewell is good at holding his ground when engaged in blocks, he struggles to shed blocks. Sewell’s lower body strength allows him to hold his ground, but his lack of upper body strength hinders his ability to disengage and get past the blocker. When bull rushing, he does not have violent enough hands to disengage from the block and make a play on the QB. Sewell also struggles at getting around blocks in the second level due to his below-average agility.

Gets Sucked In

When watching his film, I was concerned with how many times Sewell fell for play fakes. He also has a tendency to bite on counter trey runs. This is when the ball carrier starts running in one direction and quickly jump cuts and takes off in another direction. By jumping too early on these plays, he is often eliminated because he does not have the agility to cover the ground he lost. When the offensive line is space-blocking, he has a tendency to go with the flow of the line. By doing this, he is potentially leaving a wide-open lane for the ball carrier to go through.

Noah Sewell Draft Stock

As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Sewell ranked as the 77th-best prospect in the nation. This is good enough to have a 3rd round grade. After his very underwhelming 2022 season, I would have to disagree with this ranking. After reviewing his film, I do not think that Sewell is a top 5 linebacker in the 2023 NFL Draft Class. Personally, I have Sewell ranked as my 9th favorite linebacker in this draft class. So, the highest that I would draft him would be the 4th or 5th round.

 

Editor’s note: A lot of early mock drafts had Sewell ranked as a first round pick. I’m an Oregon boy, and I loved his brother Penei so I was excited. Then, I was very disappointed. I needed to know if other people saw what I saw. I’m glad I wasn’t crazy. Sewell was a disappointment to me. Honestly, I don’t see him being successful in the NFL. I want my team to fade Sewell.

Final Thoughts on Noah Sewell Scouting Report

Going into the 2022-23 season, Sewell was one of my favorite prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. But, after seeing his lack of production from this past season, I am unsure of what he will be able to do in the NFL. Although I have several concerns surrounding his game, there is a lot that he does well. Sewell can line up anywhere on the field and get the job done. When he is lined up in the box or defensive line, he does a good job of using his size to his advantage.

Additionally, he uses his power to force the blocker to drop the anchor when rushing the passer. Sewell does this by using his strong lower body and pad level to drive the blocker back and into the pocket. He also has good vision when he is lined up in the box and defending against the run. This allows him to read where the ball carrier is going to be and then he closes out on them to make a play at the line.

 

Noah Sewell Player Comparison

Former LSU Linebacker Damone Clark.

 

Noah Sewell Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis