2019 Senior Bowl: 5 players who improved stock
By Joe Romano
Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Remember that potential top-10 pick who played edge rusher that was mentioned in the previous slide? That player is Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat.
Reports out of Mobile were all raving about the talented pass rusher. Entering the week he was strongly behind players like Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Ohio State’s Nick Bosa and even Florida’s Jachai Polite. Now he’s pushed himself closer to the former two than the latter. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has said Sweat is now getting consideration inside the top-10.
Why should players come to the @seniorbowl?
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 23, 2019
Montez Sweat was a solid tier 2 edge rusher with nice traits before this week. After interviews and a dominant practice he's receiving top 10 talk from scouts.
Come compete and you might just make a few million while you're at it.
Sweat looks like he was built in a lab to get to the quarterback. He blends incredible length with a good first step. There are concerns about his ability to bend, which are warranted. However, if Sweat gets those long arms extended he’s shown a great pass rush plan. His ability to read tackle sets show a nuanced game that can continue to grow. Look at how well he hits the poor offensive tackle with a hesitation bull rush in the clip below.
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1087854003935985664
His read and react ability is top notch. When offensive tackles give him an inch he takes it and runs. There are times where he gets overwhelmed when he finds offensive tackles that can get into his body. That is easier said than done given that the man has over 35.5 inch arms. Here you can see Sweat use a plan to attack the inside shoulder and get to the quarterback.
Montez Sweat vs. Andre Dillard is fun.
— Edgar Salmingo, Jr. ✌️ (@PanthersAnalyst) January 22, 2019
On this rep, Sweat rocks Dillard back hard and gets to the QB. Too late for Dillard to recover. Impressive. pic.twitter.com/thxMHBzOXH
There are tons of teams at the top of the draft needing pass rushers. Sweat is another in a class that goes 10-plus deep at the position. He would be a great fit for a team that is a traditional even front as he plays best with his hand in the ground and is great at keeping the edge in the run game.