Nephi Sewell

Sewell's report is about persistence as much as projection. Getting healthy is step one; after that, his energy and coverage-team value give him a useful route back into the weekly mix.

Strengths: Special-teams mentality, effort and depth versatility.

Weaknesses: Currently on reserve/injured and has limited margin for error in a competitive linebacker room.

Sewell is a depth bet with a good college résumé and a lot more special-teams than defensive NFL tape. He has played 30 games, made a few useful backfield plays and knows how to survive the bottom-of-the-roster grind. But Chicago has him on injured reserve, which makes any larger projection premature. A four is fair for a player who can compete for a coverage-team job after recovery but has not yet established himself as a regular defensive contributor.

Strengths: He has linebacker instincts, experience across special teams and a college background that included tackles for loss, takeaways and coverage production. Sewell should be comfortable doing the unglamorous roster work.

Weaknesses: The NFL defensive sample is small, and he is currently injured. His size can be challenged by NFL blockers, while the depth chart gives him little margin to develop slowly after he returns.