Range: Sewell has plenty of athleticism to work with and so he can be a true sideline to sideline threat for the Oregon Ducks. He does his best work in and around the line of scrimmage when attacking downhill but his high football IQ allows him to make decisive plays to the sideline.
Processing Speed: Sewell has a consistent trigger to the football but can be hit or miss on misdirection plays. Having started since his freshman year, Sewell has accrued plenty of quality reps that has allowed him to improve his instincts.
Coverage Ability: Sewell meets all of the athletic benchmarks to be a consistent threat in coverage. He has great change of direction skills due to flip his hips in coverage and run with receivers whether running backs or tight ends. At Oregon, Sewell thrived on matching to underneath routes while also cutting his teeth on zone hook drops. He has the length and closing speed to break up passes but you would still love to see more plays on the ball.
Motor/Effort: Consistent motor throughout every game watched, Sewell is always around the football with the intent of making a play. There are zero questions about this aspect of his game.
Tackling: Sewell uses his large frame and strength to quickly wrap up opponents. Seldom does Sewell miss the ball carrier in space that can deliver a considerable blow to his opponents. When in the open field, he can play a bit too overzealous at times and put himself out of position to make a tackle.
Block Shedding: Sewell is a great block deconstructor, using his thick build to establish leverage at the point of attack and lockout opponents with good hand use. He can be very sudden with his hands which allows a seamless detachment from potential blockers.
Blitzing/Pass Rush: When Sewell was allowed to rush the passer he was relatively capable of applying pressure to the pocket. He plays some stand-up edge too and can use his athletic traits to corner offensive tackles around the arc. He displays good hand technique when blitzing from inside and will combine that with sheer effort to bring down the quarterback.
Run Defense: Sewell is a plus run defender that can make plenty of plays in the backfield. He flows well to the ball carrier from his designated spot and can use great vision/hand use to fight through the trash of the offense. He often bites on misdirection and can play too far upfield when trying to go for the kill play.
Toughness/Power @ POA: Sewell plays very tough at the point of attack and drive through tackles with physicality. He has plenty of power when deconstructing blocks and can dominate tight ends when gets good hand placement.
Versatility: Sewell was deployed as a MIKE linebacker in Oregon’s defense but has also been dropped down as a SAM linebacker to maintain the edge. Oregon also gave him snaps at overhang defender where he managed to thrive with coverage in space. He is an athletic linebacker that can be asked to participate in a number of different roles.
