The Washington Redskins traded back into the first round of the draft by sending the 46th overall pick and a 2020 second-rounder to the Indianapolis Colts to select pass-rusher Montez Sweat out of Mississippi State at No. 26 overall.
Sweat was thought to have a pre-existing heart condition - believed to be discovered at the NFL combine - but it's been determined he was misdiagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
He was initially projected to be a potential top-10 pick. Instead, the Redskins move up 20 spots in the draft to get him late in the first round. The Colts now own two second-rounders for next year's draft.
Prospect profile
School: Mississippi State
Height: 6-6
Weight: 260 lbs
Strengths
- Explosive athlete, great straight-line speed
- Great size, long arms
- Excellent run defender, made a number of tackles for loss
- Very productive over last two seasons
- Efficient tackler with wide wingspan
- Consistently sets the edge
- Explodes off the snap
Weaknesses
- Tight hips restrict lateral movement and fluidity in space
- Lacks some play strength, doesn't win with bull rush
- Hand usage and pass-rush plan need improvement, relies mostly on speed
- Not a flexible or bend/rip pass-rusher
- Tall defender who often doesn't play with ideal leverage
Bottom line
Sweat possesses a number of rare traits for an edge defender, but his overall game requires a bit of fine-tuning before he can make a legitimate NFL impact. The speed and production are there, but the 2018 All-American likely only profiles as a weak-side defensive end in a 4-3 defense due to his tightness in space. Still, Sweat's upside is among the highest at his position.