Rankings from PFF show Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell are best linebacking duo in nation
Pro Football Focus pretty much confirmed what everyone familiar with the Oregon Ducks already knew.
In a preview of the linebacker position for the 2023 NFL Draft, PFF put out a ranking of the top LBs who will be draft-eligible next season, Oregon’s marquee defenders Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe were ranked among the very best in the nation.
Despite the fact that Flowe has only played in a couple of games so far because of injury, his status as a 5-star recruit on top of his unbelievable performance when on the field — Flowe had 14 tackles against Fresno State in the 2021 opener — he was ranked as a top-5 LB in the class.
We all know what Sewell can do after his already impressive career at Oregon get’s ready for one last ride, but it will be enthralling to watch him paired with both a healthy Flowe, and now under the tutelage of Dan Lanning, someone believed to be among the best LB and defensive coaches in the nation.
So where did Flowe and Sewell end up ranking according to PFF? Take a look:
First Up — LB Justin Flowe
No. 5 — Justin Flowe
(AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
According to PFF, Flowe is the No. 5 linebacker going into the 2023 NFL Draft, despite playing in just two games in his career. His performance last year against Fresno State may have had a lot to do with that, as Flowe put up a game-high 14 tackles with 1 TFL and 1 forced fumble.
Flowe is the second-highest recruit that Oregon has ever gotten, and when he’s healthy, he’s looked like it. Now we just need him to stay on the field. Here’s what PFF had to say about him:
Flowe is quite a bit different than any other prospect on this list because he has played a grand total of 67 snaps in his collegiate career — 65 of which came against Fresno State last season. And while he didn’t put together an all-world performance, he displayed some special physical attributes. The same physical attributes that made him the No. 1 linebacker recruit in the 2020 cycle.
After a torn meniscus in 2020 and a foot injury in 2021, Flowe simply has to stay healthy going forward to start shooting up draft boards.
Up Next: Noah Sewell
No. 2 — Noah Sewell
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
There’s not much more we can say about Noah Sewell that hasn’t already been said. He’s established himself as arguably the best LB in the Pac-12, and with another standout season, will be cemented as one of the best LBs in the nation.
In two seasons with the Ducks, he’s racked up 162 total tackles, 15 TFL, 6 sacks, 3 FF, and 1 INT. We will mention again that with Dan Lanning now coaching the Ducks, it seems like a match made in heaven, with one of the best LB coaches in the nation working with one of the best LBs around. Here is what PFF had to say about Sewell:
The last name should look familiar and so should the outright physicality Sewell plays the game with. The Oregon linebacker is a one-man freight train at the linebacker position — taking on blocks is child’s play for the 6-foot-3, 251-pounder. He earned an 88.6 pass-rushing grade last season with 34 pressures from 98 blitzing snaps. Give him a straight line to a ball carrier, and it’s a wrap.
Nonetheless, he’s still a work in progress in coverage. He only earned a 59.0 coverage grade last season and missed a lot of tackles in the open field. Those are two areas we’d like to see improved in 2022 to vault him into the first round.
List
Ranking the 12 best players in the Pac-12 going into the 2022 football season
