6 Bears Defenders on Thin Ice After Eric Washington Hiring

5. Noah Sewell, Linebacker

There was a time leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft when Noah Sewell was being considered one of the top linebackers in the class. But then he saw his numbers drop in 2022 from 114 tackles and four sacks in 2021 to just 56 tackles and 1.5 sacks. After this, the tape was dissected and he didn't wow at the NFL Combine, so his status continued to drop.

Even with that being the case, he felt like a steal for the Bears in the fifth round. Sewell has excellent size at nearly 6-2 and 246 pounds. He also has NFL bloodlines with his brothers Penei Sewell and Nephi Sewell playing for the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints, respectively.

As a rookie, he was able to suit up for 13 games but made very little impact outside of special teams. He had nine tackles on the year yet was involved in just 27 snaps on defense. For a fifth-round pick, that's not awful, but Sewell is going to need to prove himself going forward if he wants to see more snaps on defense.

Washington is known for building tough groups and that could lead to him pushing the 246-pounder to try to get the most out of him. It will be up to Sewell to respond and if he doesn't, it might not be long before they're looking for the next player to groom.