Mississippi State Football

If you praised ex-Washington State football head coach Mike Leach's candidacy for the Mississippi State job on social media before the Bulldogs officially hired him Thursday, then you may have had a hand in him landing in Starkville.

Steven Godfrey of SB Nation's Banner Society reported the following Thursday:

https://twitter.com/38Godfrey/status/1215374072835661824

The fans' affinity for Leach is understandable. How can you not love a coach who spent time during a press conference talking out who would win in a battle of Pac-12 mascots?

Mike Leach was in peak form on a Pac-12 mascot battle.

Do Sun Devils have mythical powers? And if a Ute has a rifle, there's some definite problems. pic.twitter.com/FCE96RXawe

— Alyssa Charlston-Smith (@Alyssacharlston) September 16, 2019

He's also available to give free wedding advice:

Mike Leach’s wedding advice never gets old 😂. pic.twitter.com/FDXm6EuXG3

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 9, 2020

ESPN even provided a glimpse into Leach's best interview moments as WSU's head coach:

Mike Leach is bringing his iconic interviews to the SEC 😂 pic.twitter.com/914B1Zq3Nk

— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2020

Leach has a 139-90 career record coaching Texas Tech and Washington State. He arrives in Starkville after eight seasons with WSU and replaces Joe Moorhead, who was relieved of his duties after two years.

Mississippi State's coaching search has come to an end.

Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen announced the Bulldogs have hired Mike Leach to be their next head football coach Thursday. The position was open because the SEC program fired Joe Moorhead after a mere two seasons at the helm. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports first reported the news of Leach's hiring. 

On Friday, Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Leach would get a four-year contract worth $5 million a year. 

McMurphy and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com added some perspective to the move:

Washington State’s Mike Leach, one of nation’s most innovative offensive minds, will be Mississippi State’s coach, sources told @Stadium. Leach coached 18 years at Texas Tech & WSU. The Cougs’ have had nation’s top passing offense 3 of past 5 years & never ranked out of Top 10

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 9, 2020

Mississippi State nearly had Joe Judge before he accepted the #Giants job… and they hire the most non-Joe Judge person ever. A fun hire in Starkville — for someone who has been rumored to be a candidate since 2006. https://t.co/tI0XoGfRNX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 9, 2020

The notion of Leach leaving Washington State is not entirely unexpected, as this comes after Newy Scruggs of NBC Sports in Dallas reported Tennessee and Leach were "working on a deal," in November 2017. However, he ultimately stayed with the Cougars and led them to an 11-2 record during the 2018 campaign and 6-7 mark in 2019.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Leach was "really torn" about leaving Washington State but did so "because of the added resources, a much deeper local recruiting pool and because it was a shot to coach in the SEC."

Part of coaching in the SEC means going against rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, and the Rebels' new head coach even weighed in on the move:

Welcome to the state old pirate and friend!! ⁦@Coach_Leach⁩ ⁦@SEC⁩ #swingursword #eggbowl https://t.co/4r4hUsOoC9

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 9, 2020

Leach is coming off eight seasons as the head coach at Washington State, where he directed the Pac-12 program to a 55-47 record. There was notable improvement during his tenure considering he finished with a losing season in each of his first three years in the Pacific Northwest but made a bowl game in each of the last five years.

Leach is known for his aerial attack and explosive offense, and Mississippi State figures to throw the ball plenty in the coming seasons with him in charge. Washington State led the nation in passing attempts with 713 in 2017, 628 in 2018 and 710 in 2019, while the Bulldogs threw it 315 times this past season by comparison.

He was also the head coach at Texas Tech for 10 seasons before the Washington State job, although he was fired in 2009 after a suspension following an investigation of his treatment of a player who suffered a concussion.

Leach was a consistent winner in the Big 12 and posted an 84-43 record with nine bowl appearances. He would have coached in 10 were he not fired before the Alamo Bowl in his final season with the Red Raiders.

While Leach has never won the elusive national title, he will be in the thick of the College Football Playoff race if he finds a way to win the SEC with the Bulldogs. Doing so in a daunting SEC West that includes Alabama, LSU and Auburn, among others, will be a difficult task, but he will have the chance to unleash his high-powered aerial attack on a new conference.

There will need to be incremental improvement first seeing how the program is coming off a 6-7 effort and has won double-digit games just once in the last 20 seasons.

The immediate focus will be on beating Ole Miss and new head coach Lane Kiffin in the Egg Bowl and competing for bowl games as Leach builds up the program. He did just that at Washington State and will look to replicate the formula with the Bulldogs.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs interviewed former Auburn Tigers head coach Gene Chizik for their open head coaching position, according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, but Chizik removed himself from consideration the following morning. 

"Wouldn't be surprised if Chizik returns to coaching," Feldman added, "just has to be an ideal fit."

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger also reported on Chizik's involvement in Mississippi State's ongoing coaching search:

Top #MississippiState candidates are #Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge and #Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Judge played for Bulldogs and Grantham served as DC there under Dan Mullen. School also has talked to Gene Chizik and #Army coach Jeff Monken.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 6, 2020

Hearing that Gene Chizik is no longer a candidate in the Mississippi State head coaching search, but pretty clear that Chizik wants to return to the game.

Oddly enough, Chizik is part of the ESPN broadcast team calling the final bowl tonight that involves Billy Napier's Cajuns.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 6, 2020

Mississippi State fired head coach Joe Moorhead on Jan. 3. 

Moorhead spent two seasons leading the Bulldogs and posted a 14-12 record, including losses in last season's Outback Bowl and this season's Music City Bowl. Mississippi State finished 2019 at 6-7.

"It is clear the time has come to change the leadership of our football program," university president Mark Keenum said in a statement. "Coach Moorhead is a good man, and I have nothing but respect for him. I sincerely wish the very best for him and his wonderful family."

Chizik last served as a head coach in 2012. He led Auburn to three straight bowl victories from 2009-11, including the 2010 BCS Championship with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton. Chizik fizzled out in 2012 with a 3-9 record. Overall, he went 33-19 at Auburn. 

Chizik later spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the North Carolina Tarheels before stepping down in Feb. 2017.

"After a lot of prayer and discussions with my wife and children, I have made the difficult decision to step away from coaching to be with my family," Chizik explained in an accompanying statement.

He continued: "I have always told my players family should come before football, and it's time for me to follow my own advice. I look forward to watching my own son play the game I've dedicated my life and career to for the next two years, and I look forward to the simple joys of being a father and husband I've missed out on."

In a story from John Zenor of the Associated Press published in Aug. 2018, Chizik addressed his mindset toward a potential return to coaching: "I would never say never, but I will say that it's got to be a perfect fit for me. I'm in a place in my life where I can take exactly what I want. I don't have to concede anything to any job. I don't have to so I won't. Do I have 10 years coaching left in my if I want? Probably more if I wanted it. But I enjoy this life."

Chizik was fired by Auburn in Nov. 2012 and received a $7.5 million buyout paid over the course of 36 months.

Joe Moorhead's tenure as head coach at Mississippi State has reportedly come to an end after two seasons.  

Per Stadium's Brett McMurphy, the school decided to fire Moorhead for multiple reasons beyond its 6-7 record in 2019, including "a late-season swoon and discipline issues that plagued the program throughout the season."

One source told McMurphy that Moorhead was "lackluster" in his role as a head coach and the partnership with Mississippi State "clearly wasn't clicking."

The Bulldogs got off to a 3-1 start this season before dropping six of their final nine games, including a 38-28 defeat to Louisville in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. 

The team was also plagued by multiple off-field issues that resulted in players being disciplined. Mississippi State had 10 players receive an eight-game suspension for academic fraud. The school was also penalized by having two scholarships taken away during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years. 

Six players were suspended for Mississippi State's Nov. 23 game against Abilene Christian for violating team rules. Starting quarterback Garrett Shrader sat out the Music City Bowl with a broken orbital bone that David H. Murray of 247Sports reported occurred during an altercation with a teammate following practice.

Moorhead went 14-12 and lost both of his bowl appearances in his two seasons with the Bulldogs. 

Mississippi State is exploring the idea of firing football head coach Joe Moorhead, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports:

Sources: Mississippi State is exploring firing coach Joe Moorhead. No formal decision has been made. School officials have been discussing Moorhead's future since a spate of off-field issues, including the fight that led to QB Garrett Schraeder missing the Music City Bowl.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 3, 2020

Moorhead has coached the Bulldogs to a 14-11 record since joining the program in 2018. He spent two years as Penn State's offensive coordinator before arriving in Starkville.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg provided more context on Mississippi State's decision:

Am told next 24-48 hours will be key, as the situation needs to be resolved one way or the other. If Miss State makes a change, Louisiana’s Billy Napier could be a strong candidate. He received a 2-year contract extension through 2025 season today. https://t.co/T3OZRMLCom

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 3, 2020

The Bulldogs ended their season with a 6-7 record after a 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl. 

Mississippi State's season included a 1-5 midseason stretch that dropped the Bulldogs to a 3-5 mark. The Bulldogs did win three of their final four regular-season games including a 21-20 Egg Bowl win over Ole Miss.

However, Mississippi State allowed 31 unanswered points en route to its 10-point Music City Bowl defeat.

The Bulldogs played without freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader. Per Brad Logan of the Clarion-Ledger, he suffered a broken orbital bone after an alleged practice fight with linebacker Willie Gay.

Tyler Horka of the Clarion Ledger put the alleged incident in context of the team's season:

"The altercation links two of the biggest story lines of Mississippi State's season. Gay was one of 10 football players suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules. Gay has missed eight games this season because of the suspension. 

"Shrader, meanwhile, has been the center of attention for bouncing in and out of the starting lineup. Shrader has started four games in his true freshman season but has played in nine. He's relieved graduate senior Tommy Stevens multiple times as Stevens has been injury-prone throughout the year."

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated noted that the team's plan was to keep Moorhead after the Egg Bowl win but that school brass has been in "deep discussion" since the Music City Bowl defeat.

Moorhead, 46, also coached at Division I-FCS Fordham from 2012-2015, leading the Rams to a 38-13 mark. He left for PSU in 2016.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are reportedly down a quarterback for Monday's Music City Bowl against Louisville.

According to Brad Logan of the Clarion-Ledger and Hattiesburg American, signal-caller Garrett Shrader broke his orbital bone during an alleged altercation with linebacker Willie Gay. He will miss the contest as a result.

Logan noted Gay was suspended for academic fraud and ejected for fighting in the past.

Shrader arrived at Mississippi State as a 4-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and threw for 1,170 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions as a freshman this year. He also added 587 yards and six touchdowns on the ground as a dual-threat playmaker.

He ran for two touchdowns during the Bulldogs' victory over archrival Ole Miss to finish the regular season.

If there is a silver lining for Mississippi State, it is the fact Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens is an experienced backup option who has played plenty of snaps this year. He threw for 934 yards, nine touchdowns and five picks during the season while adding 310 yards and three scores on the ground.

He saw significant playing time in wins over Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, Arkansas and Abilene Christian.

Stevens will have a chance to put up solid numbers against a Louisville team that allowed 45 points in its regular-season finale against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Things got so bad for the Mississippi State Bulldogs during Saturday's game against the Auburn Tigers that even their mascot couldn't avoid taking a hit.

Bully, Mississippi State's English bulldog mascot, is OK after taking an accidental hit from Auburn running back JaTarvious Whitlow on the sidelines.

Hey Bulldog Nation. Just want everyone to know I am fine!! I’m headed back out on the field now. Thanks for all the tweets and concerns. We love our fans!!! @SECNetwork @espn

— Bully XXI (@BullyXXI) September 28, 2019

The play occurred in the first quarter when Whitlow was tripped up by Mississippi State safety C.J. Morgan after scoring a touchdown. Whitlow's momentum carried him well out of bounds, just in front of a fence where Bully was standing.

Bully took a helmet right to his stomach but appeared to stand right back up. He was unable to help the Bulldogs on the field, unfortunately, as Auburn rolled to a 56-23 win.

Mississippi State University's football and men's basketball teams incurred penalties Friday stemming from a tutoring scandal. 

The NCAA announced Mississippi State received three years of probation, a reduction of two football scholarships for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years, and a reduction of one men's basketball scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year.

Mississippi State also has 45 days to submit a report to the NCAA detailing which football and men's basketball games involved ineligible players in order to determine a proper vacation of records.

It was determined a former Mississippi State student who was serving as a part-time athletics department tutor "completed multiple assignments, exams and, in some instances, nearly the entire course" for 10 football players and one men's basketball player.

Of the student-athletes involved in the scandal, it was determined eight football players and one men's basketball player competed while ineligible.

In addition to probation and a loss of scholarships, the teams received a reduction in official and unofficial recruiting visits. Also, the football team had its evaluation days reduced by two in fall 2019 and 10 in spring 2020, and men's basketball had its recruiting-person days reduced by six for spring 2020.

The tutor involved in the scandal was given a 10-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA, meaning any school that hires her must "restrict her from any athletically related duties unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply."

In Joe Moorhead's first season as Mississippi State's head football coach, the Bulldogs went 8-5 in 2018 and lost in the Outback Bowl. They are currently on a nine-year bowl streak.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi State men's basketball team under head coach Ben Howland went 23-11 last season and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.

Mississippi State offensive lineman Michael Story pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge stemming from a 2018 incident.

Per Tyler Horka of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, Story received a six-month suspended prison sentence, two years of probation and a $1,000 fine as part of his plea. 

Brett Hudson of The Dispatch reported in August 2018 Story was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of aggravated cruelty to a cat or dog when he was accused of shutting a Great Dane owned by an ex-girlfriend in "the back room of his apartment and did not feed or water" the dog for three days. 

Story received a two-game suspension from Mississippi State last season following his arrest. 

Horka noted Story was back at the Bulldogs' practice facility Tuesday after his case was adjudicated, but he only did conditioning workouts. 

"As we announced last August, Michael was indefinitely suspended immediately following the incident," Mississippi State's athletics department said in a statement to Horka. "He served his punishment and his discipline was handled accordingly. We will have no further comment on this matter."

Story is entering his senior season at Mississippi State. He appeared in nine games during the 2018 campaign. 

He has gone from basketball standout to tight end prospect to defensive end force.           

From Stephenson High to Michigan State to Copiah-Lincoln Community College to Mississippi State.

From Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he was raised by his grandparents, to Indianapolis, where he had one of the most impressive NFL combines ever.

For Montez Sweat, it's already been a journey.

Where it goes from here will come down to three headlines.

---

Headline 1, April 19, 2016:

Defensive linemen Craig Evans and Montez Sweat no longer with Michigan State

The story states that Sweat, who had been suspended after the first two games of the previous season, was no longer a Spartan. But it didn't explain why. Head coach Mark Dantonio did not elaborate in interviews.

One team's vice president says Michigan State is typically lenient with players like Sweat, and it takes quite a bit for a player to be dismissed there. An NFC general manager says he was told the university had multiple meetings with Sweat to try to get him straightened out.

NFL teams believe Sweat was dismissed from Michigan State because he failed tests for marijuana and was accused of stealing a bike from a rack, according to multiple sources. That tracks with what Evans said in a 2018 interview, that "[Dantonio] let me go for weed. He let Montez Sweat go for weed. He let us go for weed, man. Weed, man. Nothing else."

NFL teams say Michigan State staff members have not disparaged Sweat. "They say he's not a thug; he just was hanging around a bad crew," the vice president says. "They said he couldn't stop smoking, so they had no choice. The people there like him. They say he's not a partier."

Most of the concerns about Sweat's lifestyle choices have been quelled because he redeemed himself at Mississippi State. But whether he has reined in his marijuana use or merely has avoided getting caught remains a question for one front-office man. Overall, though, there seems to be little worry about Sweat's behavior.

"He struggled with life skills early and was naive," the NFC general manager says. "He refocused in 2017. At Mississippi State, they think he's a good guy, and they say he's matured. He wants to be good. He loves football more than money. He's not just a jackass."

Having gone through some trials, Sweat is not the most trusting young man, according to those who know him. NFL front offices believe he would benefit from having a coach he can connect with, as well as solid veteran leadership around him.

At Mississippi State, Sweat grew to trust Brian Baker, his defensive line coach who has since gone to Alabama. Baker points out that Sweat could have entered the draft after the 2017 season but instead decided to come back and sacrifice money in part so he could continue to mature and show others he has matured. "It was intentional and conscious," Baker says. "He said, 'I need to change this part of my life,' and I saw evidence of that happening."

An NFC player personnel director who sat in on an interview with Sweat says he was impressed. "He was forthcoming about the mistakes he made and was calm in the interview setting," he says. "He showed good energy and a sense of humor."

Ultimately, the ability to move past adversity might enhance Sweat as a prospect. "The way I see it is he's been through some things in life and is coming out a better person," the personnel director says.

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Headline 2, March 3, 2019:

Montez Sweat sets 40-yard dash record for defensive linemen at NFL scouting combine

In two full seasons at Mississippi State, Sweat had 22.5 sacks and was voted first-team All-SEC twice. Then he lit it up at the Senior Bowl. The aforementioned vice president says he thought Sweat might have been the best defensive player in Mobile, Alabama, for that game.

Still, when the 6'6", 260-pound Sweat ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, it was stunning. "When he did that, everyone was like, 'Oh, wow,'" an AFC scouting director says. He also acknowledges Sweat moved up on teams' boards after his 40.

The NFC player personnel director says he was expecting a 40 time in the low 4.5s from Sweat. Baker, who knows Sweat the athlete as well as anyone, anticipated a sub-4.5. But no one saw 4.41 coming.

The vice president says he thought Sweat would run a 4.65 or so. He also says Sweat plays fast—but not as fast as his 40 time because he takes long strides.

An AFC general manager says Sweat's speed is evident in how he closes on the quarterback. "He's a good pass-rusher with a long body, and he's athletic and [a] good bender," he says.

For a pass-rusher, the 10-yard split time—from the first 10 yards of the 40-yard dash—sometimes is considered more revealing than the 40-yard dash time because it is an indicator of initial burst. Sweat's 10-yard split was a 1.55, which is excellent, and the best of the elite edge-rushers at the combine. For comparison, Von Miller's 10-yard split time was 1.53, Khalil Mack's 1.54 and Jadeveon Clowey's 1.56.

After the combine, the headline—and most of the talk—understandably focused on Sweat's speed, but the combine revealed much more about him physically.

The vice president was taken aback by Sweat's "long arms and big-ass hands." His arms measured 35¾", and his hands measured 10½".

Baker says he was more surprised by Sweat's weight than by his 40 time, though. According to him, Sweat's playing weight was somewhere between 245 and 250. "I wasn't sure he could get to 260," Baker says. "He was making himself sick over his weight."

Adding weight while increasing speed is quite an achievement—which speaks to Sweat's dedication and determination.

At his height, Sweat looks lanky. Before college, he was known as much for basketball as football, and he had offers to play college hoops. That could lead to some assumptions about him as a football player.

"People see a long, linear build and know about his basketball background, and they think he's not necessarily a physical guy," Baker says. "But Tez will punch you in the mouth. He's a physical player for his build."

The AFC scouting director says he has "zero issues" with Sweat's run defense, citing his strong play at the point of attack and ability to leverage. The AFC general manager says Sweat flashed ability as a run defender but has been inconsistent.

The NFC personnel director says Sweat can stay on a path. "You don't see him get knocked around," he says. "He has heavy hands, and he can shock tackles. He can bull rush or win with speed on the edge. The length shows up all the time because he can keep blockers off him."

Sweat's 36-inch vertical jump and 10'5" broad jump confirm all of this. "The numbers scream he has a lot of power in his body," the AFC personnel director says. "For a guy that big, to have that much power, is really impressive."

Sweat also impressed in the three-cone drill, which gauges short-area quickness. His time of 7.0 seconds was faster than the times of many wide receivers, defensive backs and running backs. It also was faster than the times of the other top pass-rushers who participated in the drill at the combine: Ohio State's Nick Bosa (7.10), Kentucky's Josh Allen (7.15), Michigan's Rashan Gary (7.26) and Clemson's Clelin Ferrell (7.26).

If there were any doubts about Sweat's ability to play outside linebacker in a 3-4, they were allayed by the combine. The NFC player personnel director says he proved his ability to drop during coverage drills in Indianapolis.

But there really shouldn't have been many doubts after watching tape, anyway. Sweat played in four different defenses in college, for four defensive coordinators. In 2017, he was an outside linebacker in a 3-4, and last year he played defensive end in a four-man front.

"He went from rushing and dropping and doing different combinations to a grunt position, playing four-high, inside shading the tackle, having to play knock-back and play the run," Baker says. "So he'll understand what's going on wherever he goes because of the exposure he's had to different things."

Says the NFC general manager: "I believe you could use him in a 4-3 or a 3-4. He's been compared to Aldon Smith as a player, and like Smith, he can play either position."

The AFC scouting director says Sweat reminds him of Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. "He has a similar body and is a similar type of rusher with the same straight-line speed," he says.

Sweat's workout confirmed what scouts saw on tape, and it also hinted that he has even more ability than he's been able to tap into.

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Headline 3: March 17, 2019

Combine tests reveal Montez Sweat has heart condition

In 2017, Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was considered a potential top-10 pick in the draft until he was diagnosed at the combine with a heart problem believed to be similar to Sweat's. The NFC personnel director says many teams took Hurst off their boards. He was chosen in the fifth round by the Raiders.

After the tests on Sweat revealed what team sources say is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—a condition in which a portion of the heart becomes abnormally thick—many teams wanted to have him examined again by their own doctors. Individual team physicals may interpret his condition differently, and some teams may be more comfortable than others with whatever risk exists.

But the fact that Sweat was allowed to work out at the combine after being diagnosed might be an indication that his condition is less concerning than Hurst's was. Hurst was not allowed to work out at the combine after diagnosis.

One front-office source told Bleacher Report his team considers Sweat a medical reject, and he knows of multiple other teams that categorize Sweat similarly.

But not every team sees it that way.

"He doesn't have the same high-risk factor as some of the athletes in the past that people have worried about like Maurice Hurst," the NFC general manager says. "He's a low risk for sudden cardiac arrest, but it is there."

The staff at Mississippi was aware of Sweat's condition, according to Baker. "It wasn't an issue," Baker says. "It hasn't affected him. He never missed a snap in a game because of it, never even missed a snap in practice. The guys who coached him at Michigan State never had any issues because of it."

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Whenever Sweat's name is announced, he won't take the stage for a photo op with Roger Goodell. He will be watching the draft "where it all started," in Stone Mountain with his family, instead of traveling to Nashville, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Based on talent alone, the NFC general manager, NFC player personnel director and AFC scouting director all see Sweat as a top-10 pick. B/R's Matt Miller has him 12th overall on his latest big board. The AFC general manager and the vice president say his talent merits a selection in the middle to late part of the first round.

The vice president points out Sweat's stock could vary team to team because of how many premium edge-rushers there are. Bosa is considered to be in a class by himself. But teams will vary in how they rate the next group of Sweat, Gary, Allen, Ferrell, Brian Burns from Florida State, Jaylon Ferguson from Louisiana State and Jachai Polite from Florida.

The AFC scouting director puts Sweat and Allen in a category above the others.

Sweat has as much upside as any of them. But how teams weigh the headlines from his past will determine his future as much as anything.

         

Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @danpompei.