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Redskins Saturday Spotlight: Mississippi State EDGE Montez Sweat

By Ian Cummings

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts after a tackle for loss against the Louisville Cardinals during the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bulldogs won 31-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts after a tackle for loss against the Louisville Cardinals during the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bulldogs won 31-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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STARKVILLE, MS – NOVEMBER 4: Ross Comis #2 of the Massachusetts Minutemen is sacked by Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half of an NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – NOVEMBER 4: Ross Comis #2 of the Massachusetts Minutemen is sacked by Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half of an NCAA football game at Davis Wade Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /

Montez Sweat Player Breakdown

There’s a lot to like with Montez Sweat. He has some similarities to fellow Mississippi State Bulldog Preston Smith, but the two are not completely alike. Thus, pegging Sweat as Smith’s replacement makes some sense.

One thing that’s never lacking in Sweat’s game is effort. Sweat always finishes with effort on his rushes, and when defending the run, he bounces around, constantly fighting to get into optimum position. Sweat does a good job of squaring his shoulders and setting the edge against the run, and he also has great play awareness; his ability to stay patient and blow up screens could be of value, were he to join the Redskins as a 3-4 outside linebacker. His multi-faceted approach could be enticing for teams this fall.

From a physical standpoint, Sweat isn’t a bull or a gazelle. He has an array of good traits, but he hasn’t been able to put everything together just yet. At 6-foot-5, 241, Sweat has outstanding length, and he can be disruptive when reaching past blockers. He has the agility to swim up the middle, and he shows flashes of exceptional functional strength, although he must work to be more consistent in this area.

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Consistent strength is something that’s obviously lacking in Sweat’s game, and it has a detrimental impact on his performance. Some of it is leverage; Sweat plays upright. As a run stopper, it helps him stand his ground, but as a pass rusher, it hurts him a great deal. The rest of it is just his natural strength. In the NFL, Sweat will have have to improve in this regard, as NFL offensive linemen won’t make it any easier for him. For an edge rusher who doesn’t often beat his man clean with burst and speed, competent functional strength is a necessity.

Among other things, Sweat can get neutralized easily if he loses the initial hand placement battle, as he doesn’t yet have a vast allotment of pass rushing moves. He shows signs of potential (His swipe move led to multiple solid pressures against Arkansas), but overall, his technique is unrefined.

To summarize it all in a sentence or two, Sweat is a still-developing edge rusher who’s at least decent at almost everything. Sweat has some bend, but not enough, as he sometimes gets re-routed by tackles. He has good burst, but he doesn’t fly off the line all the time. He shows flashes of bullish strength, but he needs to improve on that, nonetheless. Sweat’s length, motor, and production make up for the natural inconsistencies that most college players have. He has room to improve. But the prospect, Montez Sweat, brings a lot to the table.

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