With being more than halfway through the College Football season, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at T’Vondre Sweat.

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2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: T’Vondre Sweat

T’Vondre Sweat (DL – Texas)

6’4″ – 362 lbs.

Background:

Texas local and three-star recruit who rotated relatively heavily into the defense as a freshman (230 snaps, 8-1.0-1.0), then saw his role expand to 346 snaps the following year (22-4.0-1.0). Posted 22-2.0-1.0 over 315 snaps in 2021, then took over a starting job by the fifth week of the 2022 season, finishing with 30-2.5-0.0 over 464 snaps. Has reprised that role this season.

Positives:

Highly experienced five-year contributor for a major program. Behemoth with rare size. Moves around more than you’d expect for such a big guy, with most of his snaps in the B-gap but also occasionally sliding further in or out. Shows good instincts and awareness to locate and flow toward the football; experience really shines through. Controls blockers with his power and can reset the line when he gets his feet going. Can easily discard opposing blockers, with solid technique and power. Immovable at the point of attack because of his overall size/lower-body strength. Shows a pretty good motor in pursuit. Length gives him a good tackling radius. A bit lighter on his feet than anticipated, with adequate flexibility. Active with his hands as a pass-rusher, and sifts through blockers for lanes to the passer. Gets his hands up to contest passing lanes.

Negatives:

Rarely topped 40 snaps a game in college and will probably be rotated out as a pro as well. Not the most explosive player out of his stance, and plays with a higher pad level than you’d like. Doesn’t always show the most urgency or violence as a bull-rusher. The range is about what you’d expect given his size. Sack production has been limited in school, and probably lacks the suddenness/explosiveness to be a major threat there at the next level. Has generated more pressure the past two seasons but doesn’t have the closing burst to finish his rushes. Will probably need to keep his weight from creeping up any further.

Summary:

With unmatched size and the type of polished anticipation/recognition skills that you’d expect from a fifth-year senior, he has the look of a pro-ready early-down run stuffer who would fit best as a nose tackle in a two-gap scheme that prioritizes gap discipline. That would best highlight his ability to locate and flow toward the ball and to control/discard blockers at the line of scrimmage to generate stops. The lack of passing-down value will probably cause him to slip into the second day, but it’s hard to imagine him falling much further than that.

Projection: Round 3