HEIGHT: 6-6
WEIGHT: 260
COLLEGE: Mississippi State
CLASS: Senior
2018 STATS: 53 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 1 forced fumble (13 games)
CAREER STATS: 105 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble (27 games)
GAMES WATCHED (6): Ole Miss, Alabama, Kansas State, Iowa, Auburn, Kentucky (2018)
| 40 | BENCH | VERT | BROAD | 3 CONE | 20S | 60S |
| 4.41 | 21 | 36″ | 125″ | 7.0 | 4.29 |
BALL GET-OFF (16/20)
- Burst off the snap varies from average to good
- Quick snap reaction time
RUN DEFENSE (18/20)
- Very capable edge-setter — really strong at the point of attack
- Makes a lot of plays from the backside due to speed and hustle
- Good stack-and-shed ability — very good at using length to gain control of blockers
- Solid tackler
TECHNIQUE (10.5/15)
- Favors the dip-and-rip move; has a very effective long arm/snatch/rip combo
- Decent collection of initial pass rush moves — rip, long arm, two-hand swat, club
- Generally keeps his pads low and plays with leverage
- Uses hesitation moves to keep offensive lineman guessing
- Hand placement and arm extension vs. the run are excellent
- Needs to get better at setting up counter moves — too many instances where he’s caught without a counter move or attempts a counter move too late/too early
POWER (13.5/15)
- Significant upper body power
- Effective bull rush
FLEXIBILITY (10.5/15)
- Has some ankle flexibility around the corner when he gets a great jump off the snap, but struggles to bend through contact
SIZE/PHYSICAL TRAITS (5/5)
- Good size for a 4-3 defensive end at 6-6, 260
- Excellent length — 35 3/4″ arms
MOTOR (4.5/5)
- Consistently shows high effort level as a run defender and pass rusher
SPEED/AGILITY (3.5/5)
- Excellent straight-line speed
- Struggles a little bit with change of direction due to stiff hips
RED FLAGS
- Dismissed from Michigan State in spring of 2016
- “Low risk” pre-existing heart condition
OVERALL GRADE: 81.50/100.00 — 1ST ROUND — Rookie starter; top-15 player at position/Pro Bowl potential
NFL COMPARISON: Danielle Hunter
SCHEME FIT: 4-3 DE
DRAFT PROJECTION: 1ST ROUND
“Montez Sweat is a high floor prospect with a relatively high ceiling. He projects best as a 4-3 defensive end based on his size and athletic profile. Sweat does possess some lower half flexibility, but it’s below ideal for an edge rusher, and he generally struggles to bend through contact as a result. At times he will showcase good upfield burst, but he doesn’t explode off the snap as consistently as you’d like.
Sweat has good upper body strength with an effective bull rush. He has a solid collection of initial pass rush moves, but he needs to develop a deeper repertoire of counter moves and a better feel for the timing of those moves to maximize their effectiveness. He is a strong front-side and back-side run defender. In year one, Montez Sweat should be a solid starting 4-3 defensive end. In the long-term, he has upside to develop into a solid-to-good NFL pass rusher.” — Dan Wussow
