2024 NFL Draft: Texas IDL T’Vondre Sweat scouting report

An all-state and multi-year all-district defensive lineman at Huntsville High School in  Huntsville, Texas, T’Vondre Sweat started making an impact in his freshman season, and that never really stopped. Over time, the mammoth Sweat refined his pass-rushing acumen, and in conjunction with fellow interior defensive lineman Byron Murphy, he was one half of a truly dominant duo.

The winner of the 2023 Outland Trophy, given to the NCAA’s best interior lineman, Sweat was also named 2023 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and he was a unanimous All-American. He did all that in a season in which he totaled two sacks, 31 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, and 26 stops. Over five seasons at Texas, Sweat had nine sacks, 69 total pressures, 82 solo tackles, and 70 stops.

For Sweat and his NFL transition, the question is simple — while not many people can get done what he can get done at his size, is there more to unlock once he’s been in a next-level training situation for a while?

Defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat gets in on the scoring for Texas! pic.twitter.com/xMwZjdMdKA

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 2, 2023

PLUSES

— Played at 365 pounds in 2023 (6′ 4½”, 366 at the combine), but this is no block-sucking stationary fat dude — Sweat is quick and mobile off the snap and can do real damage in short areas.

— Arm-over move might be his best weapon; he uses it like a club to stun and edge through blockers.

— Uses his hands to stack and shed through traffic; he’s very disruptive with his upper body and is always looking to penetrate.

— Strong enough to just push blockers aside to the ballcarrier.

— Can just cut through the line with the Stunt 4-3 technique, aligned at a 45-degree angle to the blocker.

— Startlingly fast to the pocket for a guy his size, and Sweat can really move in space.

MINUSES

— Never had more than 503 snaps in a season for the Longhorns; size may limit him to rotational status.

— Late-in-game tape shows him getting doubled and limited more often.

— Impact is up-and-down as a power player; this may be due to scheme to a point.

— Has some flexibility as a defensive tackle, but he’s really best at nose, where he can disrupt in a straight line.

I’d like to see what Sweat could do in the NFL at around 350 pounds, but even so, he projects well as a highly disruptive battleship in the Dontari Poe mold. I’m fascinated to see if he can escalate that to the Haloti Ngata department.

T'Vondre Sweat, IDL, Texas

PLUSES

— Played at 365 pounds in 2023 (6' 4½", 366 at the combine), but this is no block-sucking stationary fat dude — Sweat is quick and mobile off the snap and can do real damage in short areas.

— Arm-over move might be his best weapon; he uses… pic.twitter.com/iZ8xWtcB7Q

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 6, 2024