Alright, let’s talk about my time looking into T’Vondre Sweat. Heard the name tossed around a lot, you know? Big guy outta Texas. Folks were talking him up, especially after that award he won. So, I thought, okay, let me see what this is all about myself.
Didn’t just watch the highlight reels, anyone can look good there. I actually sat down, pulled up some full Texas games from last season. Took a few afternoons, really. You gotta watch the snaps where nothing happens too, see how a guy plays when the ball’s not right at him. It’s work, you know, not just casual watching.
First thing you notice? Obvious, right? The size. He’s a mountain. No doubt about it. And you see it on the field. Dude just eats up space in the middle. Offensive linemen, even two of ’em sometimes, they struggle to move him off his spot. That’s his bread and butter. Just pluggin’ up those running lanes.
Watching the Tape
So, I’m watching, play after play. Run defense? Yeah, he’s a force. He can just sit there, anchor down, and let the linebackers clean up. Saw him toss guys aside sometimes too, when he really got motivated. Impressive power, gotta give him that.
But then you start looking for other stuff. What about getting after the quarterback? Ehh, less flashy there. Not really his game, seems like. He pushes the pocket sometimes because he’s huge, but quick moves? Speed rush? Nah, not really what you see. He’s more about collapsing things from the inside, slowly.
Conditioning was another thing I kept an eye on. Big guys like that, sometimes they wear down. Did he look gassed late in games? Sometimes, maybe. Hard to tell for sure without being there, but you watch the effort level on plays late in the fourth quarter. It’s something you gotta factor in.
The Other Stuff
And yeah, then there was the off-field thing that popped up right before the draft. You hear about stuff like that, and it makes you pause. Doesn’t change what you saw on the tape, exactly, but it adds another layer. Teams gotta think about that stuff, and honestly, just as a guy watching, it makes you wonder a bit too. You want guys who are solid all around.
It reminds me of other big guys I’ve watched over the years. Some pan out huge, literally. Others just kinda become space-eaters who only play on first and second down. It’s tough to project. You see the potential, the raw size and power with Sweat. He can definitely play in the league, no question. Be a good run stuffer from day one.
But will he be more than that? How dedicated is he gonna be? Those are the questions I ended up with after my digging. He’s got the tools for a specific job, a very valuable job in stopping the run. But the rest? Still felt like a bit of a question mark to me. That was my takeaway, anyway, after putting in the time.
