Assessing Noah Sewell’s performance at the 2023 NFL Combine
The 2023 NFL Combine got underway for the Oregon Ducks on Thursday, with both DJ Johnson and Noah Sewell hitting the field for some drills and getting their measurables taken.
Sewell performed decently well, but may not have moved the draft needle all that much in the end. His strength was great, ranking among the top of the group in the bench press, but his other measurables, such as 40-yard-dash, and brad jump failed to impress.
In the end, Johnson received an average combine score, with the tag of “average backup or special teamer,” according to NFL.com.
Here is a look at the final numbers from the NFL combine for Noah Sewell.
Measurables
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Height: 6-foot-1 1/2
Weight: 246 pounds
Hand Size: 10″
Arm Length: 31 5/8″
40-Yard Dash
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Official Time: 4.64 seconds
Rank at Position: 13th of 16 Players
Sewell’s 40-yard-dash time failed to impress, where he was among the slowest at his position group. For comparison, Auburn’s Owen Pappoe led the group with a time of 4.39 seconds
10-Yard Split
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Official Time: 1.57 seconds
Rank at Position: 12th of 16 Players
Sewell’s 10-yard split was equally as unimpressive as the overall 40-time. It will be interesting to see if he can improve these numbers by the time Oregon’s Pro Day takes place on March 14th.
Vertical Jump
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Official Measurement: 33″
Rank at Position: 9th of 15 Players
While his position ranking in the vertical jump was improved compared to the 40-time, it’s still nothing too impressive when you consider it’s the middle of the pack, at best. Vanderbilt’s Anfernee Orji led the way with a vertical of 38.50″.
Broad Jump
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Official Measurement: 9′ 7″
Rank at Position: 13th of 15 Players
Another poor measurement for Sewell, who will need to have a big Pro Day in Eugene in order to turn around some of these poor scores. Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah led the way in the broad jump with a distance of 10’9″.
Bench Press
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Official Number of Reps (225 pounds): 27
Rank at Position: 2nd of 10 Players
Finally, we see what Noah Sewell can excel at off the field — strength. His 27 reps on the bench were among the most impressive at his position, second behind only Auburn’s Owen Pappoe, who repped 29 times.
NFL Combine Grade
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NFL Combine Grade: 5.90
According to NFL.com, Sewell has the traits to be an average backup player or special teamer at the NFL level. Some of his strengths were listed as follows:
Outstanding size.
Able to take on force with strength.
Pure power to drive blocker back when pads are right.
Some of his weaknesses were listed as follows:
Lacks instincts and awareness to get early jumps.
Fails to locate blockers from his peripheral.
Too easily trapped behind blocks on outside runs.
It’s hard to see Sewell’s stock rising after the combine performance, and unless he shows out at Oregon’s Pro Day, it’s possible that he could slip a little bit into the middle rounds of the draft in April.
