Chicago Bears: Grading all picks in 2023 NFL Draft

Round 5, #148: Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

Poles did an incredible job of overhauling the linebackers unit. He brought in T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. Sticking with the theme of the offseason, they bring toughness and athleticism.

Poles continues to add to the unit by selecting Noah Sewell. In 33 games (31 starts) at Oregon, 215 tackles (19.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, 11 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions.

At 6-foot-1.5 and 250 pounds Sewell has good size. He has good strength as well and usually finds his way around the ball. He will add good depth as an inside linebacker. Grade: B-

Round 5, #165: Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota

Poles continues to add to the secondary by selecting another cornerback. Terell Smith out of Minnesota provides the Chicago Bears defense with a big (6-foot-0.5, 205 pounds), speedy corner (4.41-40). Also, he is a hard hitter. He loves to hit and provides great run support.

It is great to see a new-look, hard-hitting secondary return to Chicago. It used to be a long, difficult time trying to keep up with the Bears’ physical play. They haven’t had that recently. Now the toughness is back,

Smith will harass receivers from the first snap. He has the strength to press them and knock them off their route, and the speed to keep up with the bigger or faster receivers. If a receiver does get passed him on the press, he has the speed to catch up and still make the play.