Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Strengths:
Montez Sweat is a great pass rusher that wins with his speed, length and athleticism. He is fast off the edge with a good first step, agility to bend, and length to fight off blocks. Sweat is quick off the edge with the speed to turn the corner and run around offensive tackles. He plays with strength and active hands to fight off blocks and shows quick feet. Even though Sweat is big, he has a high burst and the ability to quickly redirect to get after the quarterback or defend the perimeter.
Against the run, he has the strength to stand up to offensive linemen and set the edge. He does a nice job of stringing out perimeter runs to the sideline. His good hand usage allows him to shed blocks and his burst allows him to close quickly on the ball-carrier.
Weaknesses:
Sweat needs to add more weight and strength to his 6’6” frame to stand up better against the run. His small weight allows him to get pushed back or into the ground. He needs to add more pass-rushing moves to his arsenal at the next level.
Draft Projection:
Top 15 pick
Sweat had a dominant Combine performance showing off his speed with a ridiculous 40 time for his size. He is a great pass rusher who needs to add strength to his frame to be effective against the run in the NFL. Sweat will fit nicely as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme and can be a double digit sack guy every year in the league. Adding different pass-rush moves like a spin move would benefit him greatly. Sweat has a serious chance of being a top 10 pick and he has the potential to be a multiple time Pro Bowler.