Redskins trade back into 1st round, move up 20 spots for Sweat
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.