2019 NFL Draft: Atlanta Falcons 3-round mock draft
By Bryan Perez
Round 1, Pick 14: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Montez Sweat’s draft stock is all over the map with less than two weeks to go before the NFL draft gets underway. He skyrocketed up the board after a dominant 2019 NFL combine performance, one that saw him set a record at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.41) and established him as an athletic freak with offense-crushing upside.
But it was also revealed he has a heart condition, one that didn’t prevent him from playing last season or participating in the Combine drills. Nonetheless, it is a heart condition and it’s going to impact his draft stock.
Sweat isn’t just an athlete playing football, either. He was productive — when he wanted to be — at Mississippi State. He recorded 22.5 sacks over the last two seasons and, at times, looked like a raw version of Julius Peppers.
The Falcons would be a perfect landing spot for Sweat, who’d be able to begin his career in a rotation with Vic Beasley and Tak McKinley. At worst, Atlanta would have — on paper — a fearsome trio of edge defenders. But Sweat’s upside, combined with Beasley’s subpar play the last couple of seasons, suggest it wouldn’t take long for him to become an every-down starter.