Impact of T'Vondre Sweat's Return on Jets Defense Can't Be Overstated

They don't come any bigger than T'Vondre Sweat. The former second-round pick out of Texas has been known as one of the biggest football players in the league today.

Sweat stands at 6'4" and over 350 pounds. Some wonder if the nose tackle weighs even more than the 366 pounds he's listed at.

There was a reason why the New York Jets were excited to bring in Sweat during the offseason. New York acquired the defensive lineman in a trade with edge rusher Jermaine Johnson heading to Tennessee as part of the deal.

But a hamstring injury suffered before camp has kept Sweat off the field over the last few weeks. Now healthy, the 25-year-old is finally back, and the Jets are seeing firsthand why he was considered a commodity for the rebuilding organization.

Sweat's impact on Jets defense

Sweat's return to the practice field changes how the Jets can play defense. Without him on the field, the team has focused its efforts on using four down linemen in base personnel. New York has gone quicker, but weaker up front since his absence.

Things are different now. Sweat's abilities can allow the Jets to run more of a 3-4 group with five down linemen and eradicate any hope opposing teams have in trying to run the football against them.

"He has the ability to take up two gaps for the most part," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "And when you're able to do that as a big man, that allows the linebackers to get a chance to run. And also, he's going to take up two blockers which means they're missing a blocker when you're on someone. That's the reason why he's here."

Over the years, the Jets' biggest problem on defense has been stopping the run. Much of that has had to do with the scheme. Under Robert Saleh, the Jets' "wide nine" approach left them susceptible to inside runs. Just last year, Glenn's hybrid defense with Steve Wilks wasn't much better. New York finished with the fourth-worst numbers against the run.

Enter Sweat.

The former Titan's strength is defending the run. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded him as the fourth-best interior lineman against the run. He was the fifth-best overall defensive tackle in the game. By filling up space due to his size and strength, Sweat makes it impossible for opposing teams to run the football in the middle of the field.

That shortens the creativity other offenses can use.

Sweat's arrival to the Jets can fundamentally change how the team looks on defense this year. Now fully healthy, expectations should only rise as the Texas product continues to get acclimated to the new defense and team as a whole.

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