Titans DT Enjoyed Stellar Rookie Season

The Tennessee Titans had one of the better rookies in the league this past season.

Tennessee Titans rookie T'Vondre Sweat returns the ball after stripping it from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans were excited to see progress from second-round defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat in his rookie season.

Many anticipated Sweat to be taken in the first round of last year's draft, but some trouble with the law pushed him into the second round, where the Titans selected him with the No. 38 overall pick.

Sweat had a better year than expected, and he was the highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus at his position among rookies in the league last season.

"It’s hard to look past Sweat’s size, mainly because it’s hard to look past Sweat in general. The 6-foot-4, 342-pound defensive tackle places in the 83rd percentile in height, the 99th percentile in weight, the 77th percentile in wingspan and the 98th percentile in hand size. He is nothing short of one of the biggest players to ever step foot on a football field," Pro Football Focus analyst Thomas Valentine wrote.

"That massive frame didn’t stop Sweat from being a productive player in his rookie season. He earned a 76.2 PFF overall grade in Year 1 and showed more pass-rushing juice than expected, registering 24 pressures. He was also one of the most consistent tacklers at the position, as his 3.7% missed tackle rate ranked ninth lowest out of 142 defensive tackles."

Sweat showcased how dominant he can be despite being only a rookie. It provides hope for the future because he should only get better with more time and reps.

If Sweat continues to develop at the rate he's going at, the Titans could have one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL.

Sweat will continue to get ready for his second season with the Titans when the team reconvenes for OTA's early next week.

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