T’Vondre Sweat NFL Draft Profile
T’Vondre Sweat Scouting Report
2024 NFL Draft Measurements
6’4″ / 362 lbs.
T’Vondre Sweat 40 Time: 5.10 (estimate)
Introduction
T’Vondre Sweat is a former 3-star recruit from Huntsville, Texas. According to 247sports, Sweat attended Huntsville High School where he had a very successful career and was ranked as the 27th best DT in the nation in the 2019 class. Some notable players he was ranked behind include Travon Walker, Zacch Pickens, and Mazi Smith. This status gained interest from 17 Division I programs. After receiving these offers, he decided to stay in his home state and play for the Longhorns.
In his 5-year career with the Longhorns, he racked up 46 solo tackles and 78 assisted tackles. He also had 13 PBUs, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. On the offensive side of the ball, he had 1 reception for 2 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State. He also underwent a major body transformation during this time at Texas. When he graduated high school, he was around 250 lbs. Currently, he weighs 362 lbs. Now let’s get into the T’Vondre Sweat scouting report!
Strengths
Play Strength
Sweat’s biggest strength is well… his strength. Due to his above-average size and upper body strength, he can effortlessly overpower opposing blockers. At the point of attack, he displays very good play strength to force linemen off balance and onto their heels. By doing so, he is then able to disengage and make a play on the ball carrier. Although he is 6’4”, he also does a good job of keeping his pad level low. This allows him to drive upward, force the blocker off balance, and then use his brute strength to move them back into the pocket. The QB rarely has no other choice but to scramble outside of the pocket. Then, his teammates now have a better chance of making a play on the QB.
Run Defense
Another way that Sweat can use his play strength is against the run. He does a good job of diagnosing the run directly off the snap. Then, he uses his pad level, strength, and hand placement to leverage gaps and clog lanes. Against inside zone runs, the ball carrier is often forced to work back to the outside. This often leads to his teammates to make a play on the ball. When he is lined up directly across from an offensive lineman, he is amazing at neutralizing their block and not allowing them to steer him out of the way.
Hand Usage
As briefly mentioned above, Sweat’s upper body strength is very impressive. This directly correlates to him having a powerful punch at the point of attack. Against both pass and run blocking, Sweat does a good job of delivering a powerful and accurate punch on the offensive lineman. Then he latches onto the breastplate and drives them back into the backfield. Once he closes out on the ball carrier, he can effortlessly disengage and bring down the ball carrier.
Pass Rush
Although Sweat doesn’t have the best pass-rush arsenal, he is good at adjusting his plan during his rush. By doing so, he can gain leverage on the offensive lineman and force them to adjust. However, unless he is matched up against someone with as much power as him, it is often too late. Additionally, he is great at keeping his eye on the QB during his rush. However, the most impressive aspect of his pass rush is his bull rush. When you combine someone of his size, aggressiveness, and power, you get an elite bull rusher.
Weaknesses
Athleticism
T’Vondre Sweat may be above average size for a true nose tackle, but it doesn’t come without a cost. This cost is his athleticism. Outside of being explosive off the snap, I did not see any aspect of his athleticism that impressed me. More often than not, if the QB escaped the pocket, Sweat was not able to chase them down. He also lacks the necessary lateral agility to keep the opposing lineman guessing. This leads to the opposing offensive line double-teaming Sweat so he cannot bull rush his way into the backfield. Additionally, Sweat also struggles with staying balanced when he is being double-teamed.
Versatility
His marginal athleticism negatively impacts his play speed and ability to perform stunts and twists. This leads me to believe that he does not acquire the necessary skill set to line up as a 3-technique in a 4-3 defense. For him to improve upon his versatility, he needs to shed a few pounds and work on improving his lateral agility. This will allow him to be more effective as a 3-technique and be able to improve his pass-rush arsenal.
Final Thoughts on T’Vondre Sweat Scouting Report
Overall, I am impressed with the upside that Sweat brings to an NFL team. He has incredible size and strength that allows him to have a matchup advantage against most offensive linemen. His aggressiveness and upper body strength help him to stop the run at the line of scrimmage and work his way into the backfield.
T’Vondre Sweat NFL Comparison
Bigger and raw version of Dexter Lawrence II.
T’Vondre Sweat Draft Stock
Currently, I have T’Vondre Sweat as an early-mid 3rd rounder. Although I am a big fan of his size and strength, he lacks too much athleticism for me to consider drafting him higher. However, if a team is in dire need of a run-stopping nose tackle, I could see him sneaking into the backend of round 2.
