However, that risk paid off in Sweat’s first season with the team. He had 51 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble for the Titans this season, establishing himself as a big part of the team’s future defense.
ESPN writer Ben Solak listed Sweat as the best interior defensive lineman in his All-Rookie Team.
“If you had asked me for my rosiest projection on Sweat’s rookie season, I don’t think I could have gotten here. At 360 pounds, he consistently played over 50% of the defensive snaps, and while he was occasionally gassed in the fourth quarter of long games, it wasn’t any more or less than an average defensive tackle,” Solak writes.
“He was a perfect pairing with franchise defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, as he punished teams that made Simmons the focal point of their pass protection and running schemes, and Sweat consistently won when he was doubled. While it will never be the featured strength of his game, he flashed more pass-rush arsenal than I could have dreamed. Sweat clearly has a ceiling beyond that of a Jordan Davis or Michael Pierce; he might be a Vita Vea.”
Simmons is expected to be his running mate in the trenches for the next few years, but Sweat will be able to fill in his role once he eventually leaves the Titans. This will give the Titans stability at the defensive tackle position for a very long time, which is a hard position to nail down when building an NFL roster.
