NS #45

Nephi Sewell

Linebacker · Utah

An undrafted walk-on turned four-year NFL special-teamer, Nephi Sewell has carved out a career on grit alone.

Nephi Sewell is a linebacker who took the long way to the NFL, transferring from Nevada to Utah as a walk-on before earning a scholarship. The younger brother of Detroit Lions All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell, Nephi has built his own path through special teams work and depth snaps since going undrafted in 2022.

★ First-team all-conference honoree at Utah

★ Recorded his first career NFL sack in 2024

★ Rose from undrafted walk-on to four-plus year NFL veteran

Path to the league

Sewell began his college career at Nevada in 2017 before transferring to Utah in 2019, initially as a walk-on. He was moved from safety to linebacker in Salt Lake City and developed into a productive tackler, earning first-team all-conference recognition. He went unselected in the 2022 NFL draft after finishing his Utah career with 44 games played and 37 starts.

Career highlights

Sewell signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and worked his way from the practice squad onto the active roster that November. He appeared in 16 games for New Orleans in 2023 as a special-teams contributor and recorded his first career sack in 2024 against Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.

2025 season recap

Sewell spent the 2025 season with the Saints, where he was waived in late August before being re-signed to the practice squad the following day. He continued working as a depth linebacker and special-teams piece through the year.