Montez Sweat wants to hit quarterbacks more often.
Sounds simple enough. But over the course of his first half-season as a pro, the Washington Redskins first-round pick has just 2.5 sacks.
Asked about his current predicament, Sweat offered the following, according to Les Carpenter of the Washington Post:
“They didn’t bring me in here to stop the run…They brought me here to get sacks…Of course with experience I get a little better, feel a little better and get more confidence out there.”
But a somewhat-unspoken situation must go addressed here — Sweat isn’t alone in his struggles. Even a superstar like Ryan Kerrigan has had problems generating pressure consistently this year.
With Sweat, rookie growing pains were always going to be part of the process. He was considered a high-upside project when the Redskins moved back into the first round to get him and still is.
Luckily for all involved, Sweat has already flashed well in other areas, so he isn’t one dimensional. He’s also starting to put together more complete-looking games, which could continue to trend in that direction as the season continues.
