So, what are the Redskins going to do with that top ten draft pick?
I kid, I kid. But seriously. It’s never too early to think about the draft, especially for the Washington Redskins, who will have a decision to make next April.
At this point, it’s impossible to predict where the Redskins might pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. After two weeks, we’ve seen the best and worst of the team, and although it’s early, Jay Gruden will be pressed to improve down the stretch.
Whether the next draft occurs under the Jay Gruden regime or some other head coach, the Redskins will likely have a need at edge rusher, among other positions. Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith have both gotten off to painfully slow starts. The depth behind them is tenuous at best. If Smith leaves in free agency and Kerrigan travels further into the twilight of his career, the Redskins could take an edge rusher in Round 1. But who?
There are plenty of names worth knowing in this draft class, but today, both due to his projected range (Mid-to-late first round), and his unique affiliation with a current Redskins edge rusher, we’ve decided to put the spotlight on Mississippi State edge rusher Montez Sweat.
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.
Montez Sweat 2018 Performance Update
It took a few years for Sweat to burst onto the scene in college football. He spent his first two years with the Michigan State Spartans, notching only one sack before transferring to the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC.
Something clicked at Mississippi State for Sweat, and in 2017, the then-junior emerged in explosive fashion, logging 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in thirteen games. In 2018, he’s off to just as hot a start; In three games, Sweat has three sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and eleven total tackles.
Production isn’t a terribly important factor when scouting players; Traits are the most important details. But when a player has top-notch production to go with their traits, it makes them that much more deserving of confidence. Sweat has the production to back up the promise. He’s been very consistent so far this season.
That said, there’s still plenty of season left to be played. Want to see Sweat in action for yourself? His Mississippi State Bulldogs play the Kentucky Wildcats tonight at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.
Relevance to the Redskins
While we’ve stretched the bounds of what exactly a “need” is with our first two Saturday Spotlights, it’s easy to assume that edge rusher could be a primary need for the Redskins in 2019.
Through two games, Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith have exactly zero sacks combined. It’s too early to make any seasonal judgements, but Kerrigan is dangerously close to the proverbial cliff that all players inevitably hit, and Smith is in a contract year. He needs to go out and earn it, and so far, he hasn’t.
The Redskins edge presence has been very weak to start the season, and interestingly enough, the only tangible spark came from a backup: Ryan Anderson. This isn’t to say that Anderson should be starting; anyone can flash. But the starters used to have a degree of reliability to their game. They haven’t had that thus far in 2018.
In 2019, Washington may be forced to restock on the edge, and a quality edge rusher with exceptional upside is worth an early pick. There are many other options besides Sweat that deserve recognition. If immaculate bend is what you want, Brian Burns is your guy. Is technical prowess more your thing? There’s a Clelin Ferrell for that. And we all know Nick Bosa is simply a force, but more likely than not, he’ll be gone before the Redskins pick.
Sweat is a very mixed prospect, and that makes him one of the most intriguing players in the upcoming draft. He has the size, length, and burst to be disruptive, so long as he can work on getting stronger. Perhaps, when the 2019 NFL Draft rolls around, the Redskins replace Preston Smith with another edge rusher from the factory that is Mississippi State.