FSU Alums: Can Josh Sweat prove himself after disappointing season?

Former FSU defensive end Josh Sweat didn’t have the rookie season he wanted. Can he rebound in his sophomore season and prove himself in Philadelphia?

FSU football sure could have used Josh Sweat in 2018. It would have been his senior year and he teamed up with experienced Brian Burns would have been a formidable duo on a team that lacked a dynamic pass rush.

Sweat forewent his senior season to enter the NFL Draft and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round.

It was hard to argue with Sweat’s decision to leave FSU as he suffered a horrific leg injury in high school and he made over one million dollars in a season that saw him play 68 snaps in the NFL.

Of course that lack of production isn’t going to keep him there long so he’ll need a strong sophomore season to prove he’s worth the four-year three million dollar contract he signed as a rookie.

The good news is Chris Long’s retirement has opened up a spot for Sweat to excel if he’s able to stay healthy.

Sweat spoke on his rookie season recently and indicated he expects a big role in 2019.

"“I’ve always been confident,” Sweat told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. “I’ve always thought I had what it took to [play] but I’m in a good place. I feel like I’ll be in a big role … so I’m just taking it day-by-day.”"

Sweat was still confident although he didn’t get to play much before suffering a season ending ankle injury in December.

"“It was very frustrating,” Sweat said. “I’m not trying to sound cocky but I thought I had what it took to play a lot more … It didn’t happen that way but I still went to work every day at practice. It didn’t matter … I didn’t play a lot but I was ready to go.”"

Thoughts

The Noles have sent a number of defensive ends to the NFL recently, players that had very good to excellent careers at FSU, but injuries and fit have seemed to stunt their progress.

DeMarcus Walker, Sweat and Mario Edwards Jr. come to mind.

Brian Burns was selected in the first round a few weeks ago and seems to have the ideal situation with the Carolina Panthers who severely lacked a pass rush in 2018.

Sweat is extremely athletic and had the strength and size to play at a high level when healthy. I think it’s just a matter of getting an actual shot and achieving some success to boost his confidence and take his game to the next level.