04-22-2019, 12:11 PM
I posted this in the Lap thread. Anyone claiming Sweat isn't an exceptional talent and worthy of the pick has a right to their opinion, but I have yet to see an expert concur. From Bruglar's just released Draft Guide.
Dane Bruglar's Draft guide. 7th overall, 3rd best Edge guy behind Bosa and Josh Allen.
3. MONTEZ SWEAT | Mississippi State 6056 | 260 lbs. | rSR. Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson) 9/4/1996 (age 22.65) #9
BACKGROUND: A three-star tight end recruit out of high school, Shaquan Montez Sweat, who was raised by his grandparents, was a standout in football and basketball at Stephenson. Averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior, he also received college basketball offers. On the football field, Sweat was better known as a tight end who would occasionally rush the passer — he was considered a top-60 tight end recruit in the country. He initially committed to Vanderbilt before flipping to Michigan State (over Florida State) with the Spartans wanting to move him to defense full-time. Sweat played in two games in 2014 before taking a redshirt year. He was suspended most of 2015 for a violation of team rules and left the program the following spring (April 2016) for “personal reasons.” After one season at the JUCO level, Sweat was a highly sought-after recruit and committed to Mississippi State over LSU and Texas A&M. He accepted his invitation to the 2019 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES 2014: (2/0) 4 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 Michigan State; Redshirted 2015: (2/0) 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 Michigan State 2016: Copiah-Lincoln Community College 2017: (13/13) 48 15.5 10.5 0 0 0 Mississippi State; First Team All-SEC; Led SEC in sacks and tackles for loss 2018: (13/12) 53 14.0 11.5 1 0 0 Mississippi State; First Team All-American; First Team All-SEC Total: (30/25) 105 30.0 22.5 1 0 0
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6056 260 35 3/4 10 1/2 84 3/4 4.41 2.57 1.54 36 10’05” 4.29 7.00 21 PRO DAY N/A (stood on Combine numbers; positional drills only)
STRENGTHS: NFL frame and length…light-footed out of his stance with long strides to quickly eat up grass…core flexibility to lean and maintain his balance…forceful long-arm and introduces various inside/outside moves to keep blockers guessing…improved run awareness and play identification…able to retrace and find the ball…efficient changing directions when tracking the run…comfortable on his feet, dropping in space and covering ground with his long strides…emotional player and not afraid to throw the first punch…effort sustains all four quarters…reached double-digit sacks in both of his seasons in the SEC.
WEAKNESSES: Lean-muscled and lacks ideal bulk on his limbs…questionable growth potential…stiff turning the corner and lacks bend at the top of his rush…needs to play stronger and develop bully tendencies to power through blocks…too often finds himself upfield past the quarterback…flashes pop, but initial hand work still in the development phase…plays tall and rigid once engaged…doesn’t have a great feel in coverage…mysteriously didn’t have any pass break ups in his career despite his length…background requires careful vetting after he spent the majority of his two-year tenure at Michigan State in the coach’s doghouse due to repeated issues …diagnosed with a heart condition at the Scouting Combine, which will require regular check-ups, though it is considered a “low-risk” condition.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Mississippi State, Sweat rushed from a two- and three-point stance as the field defensive end in the Bulldogs’ four-man front. Since the start of 2017, his 22 sacks are the second-most by any power-five FBS player during that span (Josh Allen), forming a dominant defensive line duo with Jeffery Simmons (they combined for 58.5 tackles for loss the last two seasons). Sweat wins with first step burst and humongous wingspan, although there is room for better efficiency in his pass rush sequence. Overall, Sweat has average play strength and some stiffness in his rush, but he maximizes his length, both his arms and strides, to consistently threaten blockers off the edge, projecting as an NFL starter in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.
GRADE: 1st Round (#7 overall)
Dane Bruglar's Draft guide. 7th overall, 3rd best Edge guy behind Bosa and Josh Allen.
3. MONTEZ SWEAT | Mississippi State 6056 | 260 lbs. | rSR. Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson) 9/4/1996 (age 22.65) #9
BACKGROUND: A three-star tight end recruit out of high school, Shaquan Montez Sweat, who was raised by his grandparents, was a standout in football and basketball at Stephenson. Averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior, he also received college basketball offers. On the football field, Sweat was better known as a tight end who would occasionally rush the passer — he was considered a top-60 tight end recruit in the country. He initially committed to Vanderbilt before flipping to Michigan State (over Florida State) with the Spartans wanting to move him to defense full-time. Sweat played in two games in 2014 before taking a redshirt year. He was suspended most of 2015 for a violation of team rules and left the program the following spring (April 2016) for “personal reasons.” After one season at the JUCO level, Sweat was a highly sought-after recruit and committed to Mississippi State over LSU and Texas A&M. He accepted his invitation to the 2019 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES 2014: (2/0) 4 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 Michigan State; Redshirted 2015: (2/0) 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 Michigan State 2016: Copiah-Lincoln Community College 2017: (13/13) 48 15.5 10.5 0 0 0 Mississippi State; First Team All-SEC; Led SEC in sacks and tackles for loss 2018: (13/12) 53 14.0 11.5 1 0 0 Mississippi State; First Team All-American; First Team All-SEC Total: (30/25) 105 30.0 22.5 1 0 0
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6056 260 35 3/4 10 1/2 84 3/4 4.41 2.57 1.54 36 10’05” 4.29 7.00 21 PRO DAY N/A (stood on Combine numbers; positional drills only)
STRENGTHS: NFL frame and length…light-footed out of his stance with long strides to quickly eat up grass…core flexibility to lean and maintain his balance…forceful long-arm and introduces various inside/outside moves to keep blockers guessing…improved run awareness and play identification…able to retrace and find the ball…efficient changing directions when tracking the run…comfortable on his feet, dropping in space and covering ground with his long strides…emotional player and not afraid to throw the first punch…effort sustains all four quarters…reached double-digit sacks in both of his seasons in the SEC.
WEAKNESSES: Lean-muscled and lacks ideal bulk on his limbs…questionable growth potential…stiff turning the corner and lacks bend at the top of his rush…needs to play stronger and develop bully tendencies to power through blocks…too often finds himself upfield past the quarterback…flashes pop, but initial hand work still in the development phase…plays tall and rigid once engaged…doesn’t have a great feel in coverage…mysteriously didn’t have any pass break ups in his career despite his length…background requires careful vetting after he spent the majority of his two-year tenure at Michigan State in the coach’s doghouse due to repeated issues …diagnosed with a heart condition at the Scouting Combine, which will require regular check-ups, though it is considered a “low-risk” condition.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Mississippi State, Sweat rushed from a two- and three-point stance as the field defensive end in the Bulldogs’ four-man front. Since the start of 2017, his 22 sacks are the second-most by any power-five FBS player during that span (Josh Allen), forming a dominant defensive line duo with Jeffery Simmons (they combined for 58.5 tackles for loss the last two seasons). Sweat wins with first step burst and humongous wingspan, although there is room for better efficiency in his pass rush sequence. Overall, Sweat has average play strength and some stiffness in his rush, but he maximizes his length, both his arms and strides, to consistently threaten blockers off the edge, projecting as an NFL starter in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.
GRADE: 1st Round (#7 overall)