Montez Sweat

Sweat’s per-snap numbers were actually quite good last year – it’s the low snap count (461) that held back his volume. He missed two games while grieving the untimely death of his brother, and before that a broken jaw robbed him of six games. Hopefully Sweat can find peace and be in a good place, because his remarkable talent remains evident after producing 21 sacks on his first 1,847 NFL snaps.

It's not often that a team can claim three defensive linemen in the top 15 DL IDPs, and Sweat stands out even in that crowded group. He's one of the best athletes in league history with a 4.41-second 40 at 260 pounds, and his solid NFL production through two years shows he has real, developing skills to go with his unmatched athleticism. Through 1,386 NFL snaps he has 95 tackles and 16 sacks, which would project to roughly 58 tackles and 10 sacks over 850 snaps. Heading into his age-25 season, it's possible Sweat's game takes a step forward as he enters a bigger role.

There are only so many sacks and snaps to go around in Washington, but it still somehow feels wrong to overlook Sweat even as he competes against the league's best defensive line rotation for snaps. Sweat (6-6, 260) should be a big reason why this line can prove itself as the league's best. His athletic tools are off the charts - his outrageous 4.41-second 40 supplemented by a 36-inch vertical, 125-inch broad jump and immense reach (35 and 3/4-inch arms). After posting 50 tackles and seven sacks on 693 snaps last year, the main obstacle for Sweat in 2020 is his playing time projection against Chase Young, Ryan Kerrigan, Matthew Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

Sweat had top-10 buzz throughout much of the pre-draft process, coming off 23 sacks in his final two years at Mississippi State and then posting truly absurd numbers at the combine. His 4.41 40-yard dash set a modern record for defensive linemen, while his vertical jump (36 inches) and broad jump (125 in.) were nearly as impressive for a 260-pounder. Sweat's draft stock tumbled amid reports of a heart condition, but subsequent reports suggest the initial information may be subjective or even inaccurate. Whatever the case, Washington believes it got a steal with the 26th overall pick, potentially adding a dominant pass rusher to put on the opposite side of Ryan Kerrigan at outside linebacker.