One to watch: DE Josh Sweat, how the rookie can challenge for snaps this EaglesCamp
16 July 2018 Eagles News
A player to watch this training camp is defensive end Josh Sweat. With training camp right around the corner, the rookie is on a mission to impress.
After coming back from an almost career ending injury, Sweat was able to have a very good college career for Florida State. In his last season, Sweat had 138 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss and 14.5 sacks in three seasons.
Transitioning into the NFL is never easy, but with Sweat’s determination and skill it shouldn’t be to bad.
“Sweat has the length, frame and athletic qualities to fit right in as a 3-4 SAM or rush linebacker, but he needs to go to school with a position coach or a talented veteran to help unlock his pass rush potential. Sweat’s initial quickness and issues with contact balance could hinder his ability to play with his hand down. He has the ability to become a decent NFL starter but there is a wide disparity between his ceiling and floor thanks to concerns surrounding the current and future health of his knee.” (NFL.com)
With the departure of Vinny Curry, there’s going to be opportunities for other defensive ends to play. The Eagles use a unique system that gets a number of different guys on the field. Players like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett are going to get more snaps than the others, but it’s the other defensive ends that come in and make a big difference.
Chris Long and the addition of Michael Bennett will likely lessen the role Sweat will have, but with a good training camp he’s likely to get a few shots a game at getting to the quarterback. In a smaller role, Sweat can thrive because he will be fresh and actually, it’s let’s him adjust to the league easier as well. Look at Barnett last season. Come playoffs he was ready to go. It’s that learning curve that will be necessary for Sweat’s success, but luckily for him, he’s in the right place to learn about the league. Sweat has all the tools to become a top player in this league. He’s coming into a great situation with the Eagles and for his sake, it’s probably the best place he could have landed. This training camp, Sweat is going to impress and challenge for snaps at defensive end.
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