Redskins sign first-round edge rusher Montez Sweat
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins rookie class is coming together, and now, just one draft pick remains unsigned in Washington.
Not long after the Washington Redskins selected ten players in the 2019 NFL Draft, they signed eight of those players. In the first wave, Dwayne Haskins, Bryce Love, Wes Martin, Ross Pierschbacher, Cole Holcomb, Kelvin Harmon, Jimmy Moreland, and Jordan Brailford all left with rookie contracts, leaving Montez Sweat and Terry McLaurin as the only unsigned players from the class.
For some time, Sweat and McLaurin remained unsigned, but now, coinciding with the start of organized team activities, the Redskins have inked first-round edge rusher Montez Sweat to a deal, per the team’s official Twitter account.
With Sweat now under contract, the Redskins only have Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin left to sign. Third-round picks normally take longer to sign, so this is not an anomaly. Sweat’s delay was, at the very least, peculiar, due to his heart condition, but with Sweat now signed, the concerns surrounding his unique situation are alleviated.
Sweat figures to be a key part of the Redskins defense early and often. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end has 4.41 speed and impressive burst around the edge to couple with overwhelming length, and while he lacks bend, he has a number of traits that should help him be a very effective edge defender in the NFL, especially with the Redskins vaunted defensive front by his side.
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With Sweat’s contract situation now settled, the Redskins can focus on developing him on the practice field. Sweat took first-team reps at edge in organized team activities on Wednesday, and per NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic’s J.P. Finlay, he was a consistent winner in his matchup with Ereck Flowers, who was filling in at left tackle for the absent Trent Williams. Granted, Flowers isn’t a very tough matchup, but Sweat’s early success is promising. Sweat has the physical tools to forge an identity for himself on a roster with Ryan Kerrigan, and now, he’s got four years of financial security to hone his craft.