Redskins 2019 NFL Draft top twenty edge rusher big board

Montez Sweat made himself known this offseason when he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash time out of nowhere at the NFL Combine. It was the fastest time ever recorded for a defensive lineman, and for Sweat, who stands at around 6-foot-6, 260, the time was impressive, to say the least.

That said, the 40-yard dash isn’t a metric that’s particularly indicative of success for defensive linemen, and while it speaks to Sweat’s very rare combination of size and speed, it doesn’t present the full picture, when regarding Sweat’s profile as a player.

Sweat did log solid split times as well, testing better than ninety-nine percent of edge rushers with his 10-yard and 20-yard split times. These measurements speak to the burst that Sweat brings off the line; he can generate momentum very quickly, and at his size, his horizontal explosion is almost unheard of.

Sweat, with his size, brings good length and power to the table as well. He’s a very solid run defender, and he’s able to integrate his power with his athletic traits as a rusher, although he’s still working to further refine his technique. The biggest concern for Sweat is his bend; he doesn’t show the consistent ability to shrink his surface area, and his lack of torso mobility could limit him against nimbler tackles at the next level.

The gap between Sweat and the No. 3 player on this list is small, but Sweat’s inconsistency with bend ultimately sends him down a spot. He’s still a top twenty player on my big board, and although he has a heart issue, if he’s comfortable playing with it, it’s likely a non-issue. Still, his modest concerns are enough to place him below a prospect who doesn’t have many holes at all.