Dane Brugler's Positional Rankings / Round Projections

[*Synric*]

Anyone that is interested in the NFL Draft should be reading Dane Brugler's The Beast. 

Brugler has a write up like this for every player Bengalholic has listed in the OP.

Quote:10. T’VONDRE SWEAT | Texas 6044 | 366 lbs. | 5SR Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville) 7/11/2001 (age 22.79) #93

 BACKGROUND: T’Vondre (tuh-VOHN-dray) “Tee” Sweat (SWET) was born in Huntsville (70 miles north of Houston), then grew up with his mother (Lashunda Ross) in her hometown of Houston. He got started in flag football at age 5, then played tackle football at age 7 for the 4th Ward Cowboys and Cardinals. Almost always the biggest kid in his class growing up, he also spent a lot of time playing basketball at the YMCA throughout his childhood. For high school, Sweat moved back to Huntsville and attended Huntsville High School, where he was a three-year varsity letterman on the football team (primarily at defensive end). After earning first team All-District honors as a sophomore, he recorded 53 tackles and 3.0 sacks as a junior, helping Huntsville to an 8-2 record and the 2017 district title. As a senior, Sweat led Huntsville to a 12-win season and the regional playoff semifinals (for the first time since 1991), falling in a close game to Fort Bend Marshall (Devon Achane had five touchdowns in the game for Marshall). Sweat earned first team All-State and District MVP honors in 2018. He also played center on the basketball team.

A three-star recruit, Sweat was the No. 45 defensive tackle in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 74 recruit in Texas. Before his junior season started, he had already put together an impressive offer sheet that included Baylor, Houston, SMU and Texas A&M. After his junior season, Sweat added offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Looking to stay close to home (Sweat: “I’m a momma’s boy.”), he committed to Longhorns head coach Tom Herman and was the No. 17 recruit in the Longhorns’ 2019 class (enrolled at 320 pounds). Sweat took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted because of the pandemic and returned to Austin for a fifth season in 2023 (Sweat: “I still had a lot to prove. I came back to win a natty.”). Two of his brothers also played football at Huntsville and in college: T.J. Sweat (Texas Permian Basin, Tarleton State) and Latel Sweat (Wayland Baptist). His college roommate was running back Jonathon Brooks (they call themselves the ”Eastview Boys”). Sweat graduated from Texas with his degree (May 2023). He wears a massive chain that reads “Make ‘em Sweat.” He accepted his invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES  
2019: (13/0) 9 1.0 1.0 0 2 0 Enrolled in June 2019
2020: (10/0) 22 4.0 1.0 1 1 0 Pandemic-shortened season
2021: (12/0) 22 2.0 1.0 0 3 0  
2022: (13/9) 30 2.5 0.0 0 4 0 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
2023: (14/8) 45 8.0 2.0 0 4 0 Unanimous All-American; Outland Trophy; Big 12 Def. POY; First Team All-Big 12; 2-yd TD catch; Blocked PAT Total: (62/17) 128 17.5 5.0 1 14 0

 HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP    COMBINE 6044 366 10 1/8 33 1/4 81 1/4 5.27 3.03 1.80 26 8’2” - - - (no shuttle, 3-cone, bench press — choice) PRO DAY 6047 367 10 1/4 33 1/4 81 1/4 - - - - - - - - (skill drills only — choice)  

STRENGTHS: Massive body type with proportionate thickness, long arms and big hands … displays grown-man strength to bully blockers into the lap of the quarterback … flashes pop and power in his hands to swipe down blockers or put them on their backside (NFL scout: “ Did you see the new Mario movie? When Donkey Kong pounds the snot out of Mario? It gave me flashbacks of Sweat’s film.”) … surprising quickness for his size with range to make plays downfield and at the numbers … even when his base gets narrow, he can hold his ground versus double teams … has a knack for finding passing lanes (17 batted throws in his career; six in 2023) … played eight career snaps on offense, including a 2-yard touchdown in the 2023 Big 12 championship game … has always been known for his smile and fun-loving attitude but adopted more of a locked-in mentality in 2023 (without losing his playful personality) … improved effort as a senior and benefited from the experience of defensive line coach Bo Davis, who previously coached with the Detroit Lions (2018-20) … leans on a close bond with his mother (“Without that woman, I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things.”) … career bests in production in 2023, including his first blocked kick (extra-point attempt that was returned for two points).  

WEAKNESSES: Must keep his weight under control (NFL scouts say he played the 2023 season at “380ish” pounds) … high-cut and tends to play tall out of his stance … average get-off leads to early stalls … pass-rush skills are a work in progress and needs to develop move-to-move transitions … more consistent hand placement will reduce missed tackles … showed improved conditioning in his final season but was kept fresh (35.9 snaps per game) … improved maturity during the 2023 season but was labeled a “party animal” and “class clown” as an underclassman by NFL scouts, who also questioned his commitment to becoming the best player he could be … converted some doubters after adopting more of a professional mentality in 2023 but was arrested and charged with DWI, just weeks before the draft (April 2024).

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Texas, Sweat was a mountain on the interior in former defensive coordinator Jeff Choate’s scheme. Known for immature tendencies as an underclassman, he returned for his super senior season in 2023 and made several key changes (on and off the field) that elevated the defense (first Texas player to win the Outland Trophy since 1977). With his powerful base, Sweat refuses to be moved and effortlessly controls the point of attack before shedding with urgency and range to finish. As a pass rusher, his hands and feet need to be more consistently synced up, but he can create knockback and collapse the pocket. Overall, Sweat must continue turning the brilliant flashes into more consistency, but he is a rare athlete for his size, with the power and ingredients to be a dominant force against the run. Though he has the traits to become an impactful NFL starter, he needs to stay conditioned and locked in to reach his potential.

 GRADE: 4th Round