Tennesee Titans add third largest defensive tackle prospect in NFL Draft history in T'Vondre Sweat of Texas
The Tennessee Titans have selected an elite monstrous force to pair with Jeffery Simmons on their defensive interior. With the 38th pick overall in the 2024 NFL Draft the Titans selected T'Vondre Sweat, DL Texas. Sweat is a giant at 6'4", 366 pounds who was an absolute game wrecker for the Texas Longhorns. That makes […]
The Tennessee Titans have selected an elite monstrous force to pair with Jeffery Simmons on their defensive interior. With the 38th pick overall in the 2024 NFL Draft the Titans selected T'Vondre Sweat, DL Texas. Sweat is a giant at 6'4", 366 pounds who was an absolute game wrecker for the Texas Longhorns. That makes him the third largest defensive tackle prospect to be drafted in NFL history.
The Titans desperately needed help along their defensive front, and once the run on interior defensive lineman began they followed suit. General manager Ran Carthon is clearly committed to building the trenches on both sides of the ball. First JC Latham of Alabama at offensive tackle in round one. Now T'Vondre Sweat at defensive tackle in round two.
T'Vondre Sweat, DL Texas
Sweat began his college career measuring in at 6'3", 249 pounds. Over the next five years he grew an inch and a half and added over 100 pounds to his frame to become one of the most immovable defenders in college football history.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sweat had the highest mark in their custom wins above replacement stat among all defensive players last season thanks to his mix of run stopping and pass rush ability. That means he was essentially the single most objectively impactful defender in all of college football.
Despite his incredible size, instead of lining up exclusively at nose tackle, Sweat often lined up in the B gap where he could physically manhandle opposing offensive guards. Sweat's quick hands and feet for his size create mismatches all along the line in pass rush situations. And his 360+ pounds make him impossible push off his spot against the run.
97% of his solo tackles last season were run stuffs for negative or a net neutral expected gain for opposing offenses. What does that mean? Essentially offensive lineman could not ever move him beyond a yard or two of the line of scrimmage before he snagged the offense's runner and took them to the ground.
As a football player, Sweat is an unreal talent. However, off the field, there might still be some concerns. There were some known character issues early in his career due to some off-field behavior, but he said those things had been addressed. That apparently wasn't the case. With less than a month to go before the 2024 NFL Draft he was arrested for a DWI in Texas. Hopefully the Titans can help him keep his head on straight. If so, he will certainly be a special pro.
T'Vondre Sweat fit with the Titans
Jeffery Simmons will continue lining up mostly over opposing offensive guards for the Titans, kicking a bit further outside in certain packages. Sweat could line up in the opposite B gap from Simmons on many occasions, or slide closer inside over the center to stuff the run, better utilizing his extreme size. That would be a slightly different role than Texas had him play for much of his later career, but Sweat has the strength and mobility to create havoc up the middle.
It will be interesting to see if the Titans try to play him almost every down at his size. That might not be likely. But either way, Sweat's elite run stopping ability and pass rush pressure rate near 12% last year make him an incredibly versatile defensive tackle who can make an impact for the Titans in a number of places. If he can keep his head on straight the Titans should have one of the most dominant defensive tackle duos in the league.
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And if you want to watch some T'Vondre Sweat highlights to get pumped for his NFL future with the Tennessee Titans just check out the video below!
