And you thought we were done with 2023 NFL Mock Drafts. Welcome to the dead of the offseason. We didn’t miss you.
To pass the time, Pro Football Network released its latest two-round 2023 mock NFL Draft yesterday. Giving the Pittsburgh Steelers the 11th overall pick, they mocked them Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell as a presumptive replacement for Devin Bush.
Explaining the pick, author Ian Cummings wrote:
“Noah Sewell might allow the Steelers to succeed where they failed with Bush. Sewell stands at 6’3″, 250 pounds, and is a homing missile in the box. He’s not afraid to engage blockers with full force and blast open lanes, and he’s a sure tackler in open space with quick recognition ability. His full-field range isn’t elite, but Sewell has more than enough explosiveness to work with. He’s also fairly steady in coverage.”
Sewell certainly is a much different-looking linebacker than Bush, but as Cummings explains, is a good (though not great) athlete with big hit power and sure tackling ability. A much different type of player than what Bush has become. Sewell’s name should also sound familiar. He’s the younger brother of Detroit Lions’ top ten pick OT Penei Sewell, attractive bloodlines Mike Tomlin will be drawn to.
Last season, Sewell racked up 114 tackles (8.5 TFL) in 14 games to go along with four sacks, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
With his fifth-year option declined, Bush is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and will need to show significant improvement to re-sign in the offseason. Right now, odds are Bush will be playing elsewhere in 2023 and Pittsburgh will probably have to look out-of-house for his replacement, making Sewell a fair fit.
In Round 2, PFN mocked Baylor DT Siaki Ika. A big interior plugger at a listed 6’4″, 350, he transferred from LSU to Baylor last year, putting up 24 tackles (six TFL) and an impressive 3.5 sacks. Tyson Alualu is likely entering the final year of his long career and Pittsburgh could look for a replacement or at least depth should they turn to Montravius Adams.
Sewell and Ika will be underclassman by the end of the 2022 season so there’s no guarantee they declare and will be part of the 2023 draft pool. But they’re two logical and good picks by PFN. Cummings has high-pick quarterbacks returning in 2023 with four going in the top seven: Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (#1), Alabama’s Bryce Young (#3), Florida’s Anthony Richardson (#6), and Kentucky’s Will Levis (#7). Again, check out the whole thing here.
