The Tennessee Titans used the No. 38 overall pick of the NFL Draft to select T’Vondre Sweat, the Outland Trophy winner and former Texas Longhorn star.
Most scouts viewed Sweat as one of the top defensive tackles available in the NFL Draft. He weighed in at 366 pounds at the scouting combine in early March. The weight made him the largest player working out for scouts in Indianapolis.
Before the combine, most mock drafts listed Sweat as a late first-round draft pick. But his stock began to fall after Indy. Then came Sweat’s arrest for DWI. But ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper said Sweat might be too old-school of a player to go high in the draft.
“He was projected now as being more of a that stay-at-home type run-stuffer … a 1980s style defensive tackle,” Kiper said in mid-April. “I like that (position), think you need that. We had (Jordan) Davis from Georgia going in the first round to the Eagles. I think now teams want this disruption. They want sacks, they want hurries, they want a guy who can be a factor getting after the quarterback from the interior.
“It’s not that style of play anymore like it was back in the 80s when (Sweat) would have been a much higher pick.”
Sweat certainly turned out to be better than his high school recruiting rankings believed. The On3 Industry average listed Sweat as only the 73rd best defensive line prospect in the country and the 82nd ranked player in the state of Texas.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about T’Vondre Sweat
Lance Zierlein, a draft analyst for NFL.com, also mentioned Sweat’s skills may limit his role on a pro defense.
Zierlein wrote: “Sweat is a massive space-eater whose size and skill set will have him plugged into a role as a run-plugger for odd- or even-front defenses. He’s not quick off the snap or explosive into first contact, but it takes a village to try to uproot him and move him out of the way. The attention he will require from blocking schemes should help unlock the playmaking potential of speedy inside linebackers who won’t have to contend with as much traffic climbing into the second level.
“He offers more rush than expected for a man his size and could play more snaps than most at his position. Sweat’s area of impact will be narrowly focused, but it could create a much larger impact on the defense overall.
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