Los Angeles Rams: Outside linebacker options in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Jason Reed
Montez Sweat, round one
Montez Sweat is someone that almost did not make this list because it is hard to gauge if he will even be available for the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL Draft. Opinions on Sweat are so varied that it is hard to pinpoint where exactly he will be selected.
Walter Football says that Sweat could fall as far as the second round, however, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report ranks Sweat as the 19th-best prospect in the draft, one spot ahead of Jachai Polite.
With a strong NFL Combine showing, Sweat can easily fall in the top 10 and might even fall in the top-15. However, there is also a chance that Sweat falls if not enough teams need a first-round outside linebacker and he falls all the way to the Los Angeles Rams.
If he does he would be a great pickup for the Rams.
Sweat is a bit more raw than Polite but has the size and physical presence that Polite lacks. While Sweat might be better in a 4-3 scheme, which the Rams do not run, he showed at Missippi State that he has the instincts to affect plays even when he is not rushing the quarterback.
He is at his best when he is rushing the quarterback, though, and used his physical strength to be a run-stuffer as well. Sweat might not be an every down backer right away but he certainly would thrive in Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme, despite it being a 3-4.