Anonymous coach is 'shocked' that one player fell to Bears in 2023 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears may have landed a big "sleeper" in the middle rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. ESPN spoke to several anonymous college football coaches this week about the 2023 NFL Draft and they asked them about their favorite "sleepers" in this year's draft. One of the coaches pointed out one of Chicago's fifth-round […]
The Chicago Bears may have landed a big "sleeper" in the middle rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
ESPN spoke to several anonymous college football coaches this week about the 2023 NFL Draft and they asked them about their favorite "sleepers" in this year's draft.
One of the coaches pointed out one of Chicago's fifth-round picks as a selection that stood out.
A coach familiar with Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell, one of Chicago's two fifth-round selections, said he was "shocked" to see the former Ducks standout fall to the middle rounds of the draft. The coach said Sewell was supposed to be a first-round pick.
From ESPN: A year ago, Sewell was pegged to be one of the top inside linebackers off of the board. In 2021, he became the first Oregon player ever named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker).
"Shocked," a coach familiar with Sewell said. "He was supposed to be a first-day guy."
Sewell's numbers regressed last season, but he still earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors and finished with 215 career tackles, including 19.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles
Sewell saw his production dip in 2022 (he totaled 114 tackles in 2021 and only 56 tackles in 2022), but he's still a talented player who will provide the Bears' defense with plenty of versatility. Sewell can play middle linebacker or outside linebacker and he's also a good blitzer, which gives Chicago some different options.
If Sewell returns to his 2021 form — and there's no reason to think he can't or won't — then the Bears possibly landed a first-round talent in the fifth round.
That's good work by Bears general manager Ryan Poles and the rest of the front office.
