25 Days of Draftmas: Montez Sweat is the long, strong DE prototype KC likes

A very Merry Draftmas to you! It’s 25 Days of Draftmas on Arrowhead Pride, where we’ll be giving you a Kansas City Chiefs draft prospect every day in April leading up to the NFL Draft. You’ll get a daily prospect profile like this one right up until Draft Day.

Montez Sweat, EDGE

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

6’6” | 260 lbs | Mississippi State

Projected draft range: first round

Combine: 4.41 second 40-yard dash, 21 bench reps, 36” vertical jump, 125” broad jump, 4.29 second 20-yard shuttle, 7.00 second 3-cone drill

2018 stats: 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 53 tackles

I would take him: round one

One-sentence bio: Full name is Shaquan Montez Sweat but goes by Tez; two-time first-team All-SEC in 2017 and 2018.

One-sentence scouting report: Freak athlete with wildly long arms that can use his strength to beat offensive tackles in run defense and rushing the passer.

One play:

How he fits in KC: Sweat might be a dream candidate for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. After spending an offseason adding long, strong defensive ends to the Chiefs roster, Sweat would stack those capabilities and add some speed on the outside as well. When we watched Sweat at the Senior Bowl, he seemed like he was toying with some of the tackles, regularly setting a strong edge with a single extended arm to the center of the tackle’s chest. He understands leverage and plays with good pad level — despite his height. He has the length and strength to set the edge against almost any tackle in the run game and will be a force in that regard. When rushing the passer, Sweat showcases a bull rush that routinely puts offensive linemen on the turf and a great push-pull to throw them forward when they anchor against the bull rush.

Sweat showed some tightness when rushing the passer and may not ever unlock to become a real edge-bender. Despite testing through the roof at the NFL Combine, the speed doesn’t always show up on tape. He doesn’t often beat a tackle up the arc, and his get-off isn’t as quick as you would like with the measurables he achieved. He doesn’t have much in the way of a pass rush plan outside of the bull/push-pull; he tended to win at the collegiate level by just being longer and stronger than the opposition.

I had committed to writing about Sweat before Saturday’s news that he will not accept his invitation to attend the NFL Draft. A heart condition found during medical checks at the combine may be driving his stock down — right into the Chiefs draft/trade-up range.

Sweat has a lot of development left to do, but he appears to be one of the type of players that has benefited from the process after college. He put on 15 pounds to be more appealing to NFL teams and worked his tail off to demonstrate his agility and speed are there to be unlocked. If the Chiefs believe the heart condition — which did not require medical rechecks — is in the clear, they could give defensive line coach Brendan Daly a freak athlete to work with early in the draft.

Want to read more player profiles from Arrowhead Pride’s 25 Days of Draftmas? Click here for the complete list. And to stay informed on the players in which the Chiefs have shown interest, be sure to check out AP’s Chiefs draft prospect visit and workout tracker.

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