The Daily Nole

The Low Down: Josh Sweat

Mitch White/FSU athletics

This past week, readers got to look over what Deondre Francois brings to the table for 2017. His strengths, his weaknesses, his best performance, his worst performance, and ultimately a prediction were all examined and given. Not surprisingly, it was on the side of realistic optimism.

This week’s edition of “The Low Down” focuses on junior defensive end Josh Sweat, who is coming off an overall good (but not great) season. He accumulated 41 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and one forced fumble. But is there more to him than what the stat sheet says? Once again, we do not claim to be professional scouts; these are simply observations that we feel became apparent.

Strengths

Power/push at the line: If there is one thing that Sweat is known for, it’s his raw power. When he has good technique, he can move back basically any lineman in the country. It might not show up in the stat sheet every play. But the impact that he has when disrupting a run play or pressuring the quarterback is clear. It’s even more amazing when you realize that he’s still slightly underweight for a defensive end his size. If he can put on that last bit of muscle, it might be able to put him over the top.

Pass-rushing pursuit: Much was made about Sweat loafing last October against North Carolina. It was indeed an embarrassing moment — one that he is determined to get past. What made it so strange was the fact that Sweat is typically very determined as a pass-rusher. He’s always got his eye on the quarterback and even when he won’t get the sack, he’ll make their passing lanes tighter. Sometimes he’ll even do better than a sack.

Outside leverage: Sweat turns the corner so fast that offensive linemen rarely impede his pursuit to the quarterback. It’s a combination of his aforementioned power and his speed; when he gets off the line quickly, it’s almost impossible to stop. It might not work on every play, but it sure is pretty to watch when it does.

Weaknesses

Burst at the line: There is one thing above all that has hampered Sweat in his FSU career (besides his injury). His quickness at the snap is subpar and it sometimes prevents him from making big plays. Watching Sweat on film is frustrating when compared to others in the position group. Even though he has the most natural talent of any lineman on the team, he still looks a step behind teammates sometimes. If he can improve on this in 2017, he’s going to absolutely dominate. He’s already a good defensive end who disrupts plenty of plays.

Goes upright too much: This is more of a minor complaint, but one that does appear more than you’d expect. Sometimes Sweat will go too upright in his stance and rely on his upper body. He’s strong, but not strong enough to counteract basic physics of leverage.

Best Performance of 2016

Nov. 26 vs. Florida: The combination of Josh Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, and Derrick Nnadi in this annual rivalry game was incredible. Sweat showed just how much he had improved over the course of the season with relentless pursuit and nearly unblockable effort. There was hardly a play that he was not affecting. Add in tangible numbers like seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, and it’s obvious that Sweat showed up big for the rivalry contest.

Worst Performance of 2016

Oct. 1 vs. North Carolina: Sweat jogging on a crucial play in this game has already been mentioned. What hasn’t been mentioned is the complete dud that he put on the field for almost that entire contest. Granted, he may have still felt uncomfortable after an injury scare a couple weeks prior, but at that point he might’ve needed to sit out. Sweat simply did not have the usual impact that he does. It (among other parts) let the Tar Heels’ offense do whatever it wanted on its way to a 37-35 upset.

What to Expect in 2017

By the end of 2017, Josh Sweat will be regarded as one of the best defensive ends in the nation.

That sentence might seem jarring if you’ve read the entire piece. It’s also reminiscent of what this author said last year. It might prove to be wrong again. But almost everything we’ve heard about Sweat from various sources has been extremely positive news. His freshman year was him getting his feet wet and learning expectations. His sophomore year was him refining parts of his game that needed improvement. His junior year looks to be his “money year”.

We’re talking about a player that was the No. 1 overall recruit before a devastating knee injury; Sweat truly was looking like the next Jadeveon Clowney. While the injury certainly set him back in development, it doesn’t seem like it’s actually impeded his talent. It’s all still there — the power, the speed, all of it.

Defensive ends coach Brad Lawing has been one of the best coaching hires for FSU of the past few years. He is a proven developer of talent who gets the most out of his defensive ends. Sweat has already shown he can be a great defensive end and he’s still not done. Both of his big weaknesses listed here can be fixed with repetition and experience. He has that. Now, he just has to put it all together.

The bold prediction here is obviously just a prediction and far from a 100 percent certainty. From what we know however, it is one to feel confident in.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply