Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat Is a Mauler in the Trenches
While the first round of this upcoming NFL Draft is likely to be loaded with offensive talent at the top, the second day could be where defenders shine.
One of these talented defenders is Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who has utilized some imposing size and strength to dominate the trenches over his five seasons with the Longhorns. Today’s edition of the Vikings Draft Thermometer series will focus on breaking down Sweat’s skills on the defensive line and if the Vikings ultimately should target him with a day two selection.
Overview
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 365 pounds
- Arm Length: TBD
- Hand Size: TBD
- 40-Yard Dash: TBD
- School: Texas
- Games Watched: Alabama (2023), BYU (2023), Oklahomas State (2023), Washington (2023)
T’Vondre Sweat was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and 247 Sports ranked him as the 27th defensive tackle recruit in the 2019 class. Ultimately, Sweat opted to stay close to home by committing the University of Texas where he played all five of his collegiate seasons.
The defensive tackle spent the majority of his first three games as a rotational player in the Texas defense and underwent shoulder surgery following the 2021 season to repair an injury that he dealt with for much of that year.
Sweat then burst onto the scene in 2022 as a starter for the Texas defense, and in 2023, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year while also earning All-American status at the defensive tackle position.
Statistics
- 2019: 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble recovery (6 games)
- 2020: 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble (9 games)
- 2021: 22 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 passes defended (12 games)
- 2022: 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended (13 games)
- 2023: 45 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 4 passes defended (14 games)
Strengths
On a Texas defense loaded with talent, T’Vondre Sweat stands out because of some absolutely ridiculous size at the defensive tackle position. He simply was too much for many guards and centers at the collegiate level to handle with his combination of length and strength.
Sweat’s best trait is his ability to blow up running plays. When offensive linemen are forced to come at him rather than step back in pass protection, it’s game over. Sweat was PFF’s highest-graded defensive linemen in terms of run defense this past season at 92.0. They also credited him with the third-highest run-stop percentage among defensive linemen with at least 150 snaps in run defense.
Most importantly, Sweat took big strides as a pass-rusher in 2023, totaling 31 pressures. Because of his size, he had a knack for batting passes out of the air as well.
Weaknesses
While some of Sweat’s best traits come as a result of his massive size and power, his size can also lead to his downfall. Due to his sheer mass, he isn’t necessarily the most explosive athlete out of his stance and tends to stand straight up off the snap rather than explode forward.
Sweat can also run out of gas fairly quickly. Unlike, say, Jaquelin Roy, who the Vikings selected in 2023 in part because of his extremely long motor, Sweat has not proven capable of playing large chunks of snaps in Texas’ defense. He played 40+ defensive snaps in just four of the 14 games he played this season, and his effectiveness dropped noticeably during the late portions of some games he played.
Finally, Sweat still needs to improve as a pass-rusher. Despite some terrific length, he occasionally found himself losing leverage against opposing offensive linemen while at Texas.
NFL Projection
- Draft Stock: Second-Third Round
- Immediate Role: Rotational NT
- Best-Case Scenario: Linval Joseph
- Worst-Case Scenario: Carl Davis
- Vikings Draft Thermometer (1-100): 60
At the end of the day, Sweat probably needs to find a way to stay on the field more often before he can truly be trusted as a starter on the defensive line. This can happen by improving some cardio fitness while also adding moves to his pass-rush arsenal.
Seeing as the Vikings don’t quite have a massive, imposing presence on their defensive line, Sweat would be a very solid option in the second day of the 2024 Draft.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via 247 Sports, Pro Football Focus and Sports Reference CFB.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.