So far in the 2019 season, the Washington Redskins have been caught up in a coaching change, quarterback drama, a Pro Bowl player who refuses to play, and a disastrous 1-7 start to the season. It’s no wonder that fans have rarely had the energy to check in on first-round draft pick Montez Sweat and see how he’s doing.
If this is the first time you’re asking about how his performance so far this season, you might be underwhelmed. So far through eight games, Sweat has struggled do become the dominant pass rusher that Washington envisioned when trading back into the first round to draft him with the No. 26 pick. He has just 1.5 sacks and four QB hits, and some of his techniques shown early on hinder the unique talent and size that made him such a high prospect coming into the draft.
Mark Bullock from The Athletic recently broke down some film of Sweat, and noted that at times, the 6’6″, 250-pounder has been lining up too far outside to let his speed go to work, and his inability to shed the hands of blockers negates a dangerous length that he has.
Those two plays show that Sweat is negating his best two traits as a rusher, his length and his speed. He’s taking too long to get into rushes, which negates the speed aspect of his athleticism, while at other times, he gets too close to blockers, preventing him from making use of his superior arm length. At times when he has used his speed, he hasn’t been able to show the bend around the edge consistently.
If it weren’t for the multitude of drama that surrounds the Redskins at all waking moments, the inefficiency of Sweat would be a far bigger story. On the bright side, at least the rookie is getting a load of reps and has had the opportunity to grow and learn from mistakes up to the midway point in the season, all while largely avoiding much scrutiny from the media and the fan base. At least someone is benefitting from Washington’s tumultuous season.
