2024 NFL 3-Round Mock Draft: Seahawks land dream haul on defense

3rd Round, pick 81 - T'Vondre Sweat, defensive tackle, Texas

What do we do after the Seahawks go defensive line in the 1st round? We go right back to the defensive line, this time selecting the most polarizing defensive prospect in this class, big DT T’Vondre Sweat.

While Bryon Murphy is the man getting all the draft love from the Texas defense, it was Sweat who won this year's Outland Trophy, annually given to the best lineman in college football. At 6'4 1/2" and weighing 366 lbs, Sweat was a literal mountain for a Longhorns team that nearly played for the National Championship.

In 2023, Sweat totaled 45 tackles, with 8 for a loss, 2 sacks, and 4 passes deflected. While his stats don't scream an Outland Trophy, it was his ability to constantly eat up blockers, take on double teams, and allow his teammates to run free, while he was still able to produce.

At the combine, Sweat was one of the stars of the show, running a 5.27 40-yard dash. A man of his size, running at that speed, should terrify quarterbacks and running backs across the league. There would be real discussions about Sweat going in the top 50, but like every draft season, someone becomes the character issues dropper, and Sweat fits that bill this year.

Two weeks ago, Sweat was arrested while driving intoxicated. To have this happen, after there were drinking and partying concerns during his early years at Texas, on top of questions of him possibly being too big, Sweat could potentially drop as far as a Day 3 pick.

While there are real concerns, I think Seattle is a perfect fit for Sweat and can provide an atmosphere that blends the Ravens and Seahawks way, with Leonard Williams as his mentor. I believe the reward is worth the risk, and Seattle should not let him drop past pick 81. This is the type of talent that will not be asked to play all three downs but can eat blocks and finally fix this Seahawks' rush defense.

Do you want to set a new identity on defense with your new coach? A combo Verse and Sweat are absolute game changers and could turn this defense into a top-10 unit within two seasons.

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