What Montez Sweat Learned to Earn His Place Among Top Edges

Coming out of Mississippi State after two years at Michigan State, Shaquam Montez Sweat ran a 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in 4.41 seconds.

That was a 6-foot-5 3/4, 260-pound edge rusher. Sweat had some of the freakiest measurables of anyone this side of Julius Peppers, with an 84 3/4-inch wingspan in the top 4% of all edge rushers at combines, and 35 3/4-inch arms, top 3%.

The 4.41 40 was top 2%

Yet, with all of those athletic accomplishments and physical attributes, Sweat attributes his signature pass rushing move to something he was taught and not something he was gifted.

The long-arm move is how he keeps blockers at bay while getting around them and Sweat learned it from former Washington player Ryan Kerrigan.

"I was actually blessed to get drafted to Washington even though it's a crazy organization but I was blessed  to be around some great people," Sweat told Chris Long on Long's Green Light Podcast. "One of those people was Ryan Kerrigan. That was his move, the long arm.

"His arm wasn't the longest but he was as strong as hell."

Using the long-arm move complements Sweat's attributes and allowed him last season to produce 12 1/2 sacks.

"I think being strong and all those type of things, quick and all those type of things, are good but the amount of leverage that I'm able to use, like on my long arm and stuff, and things like that, the way I can just torque and things like that, it makes things a lot more easier," he told Long. "And really, when I came into the league, I didn't really necessarily know how to use it."

While playing in Washington with Daniel Snyder as owner is generally not viewed as an ideal setting for development, Sweat thinks it prepared him for what he faces now. And that's becoming a leader with the Bears.

"Man it's completely different," he told Long. "I mean, obviously my bank acocount is a little bit better but I mean (being) more responsible."

He came over near midseason and merely wanted to get his footing.

"I guess last year I was just, like, playing my role and stuff like that," he said.

THE CHRIS LONG INTERVIEW WITH MONTEZ SWEAT

So it changes in Year 2 on the Bears defensive line after he was a catalyst for the defense turning it around at midseason to tie for the league lead in interceptions despite still finishing next to last in sacks.

"The mindset is the first thing that youv'e got to change just to be a leader," he said. "I mean, I'm not really a vocal guy. I like to lead by example."

So as a team leader, Sweat has some advice for the potential new Chicago Bears quarterback, Caleb Williams.

It sounded like he was imitating Matt Nagy's mantra.

"Be yourself," Sweat said. "Do try to do it all over the night, and just stay humble. Don't try to do it all yourself. You've got a great group of guys."

Sweat knows this type of situation well. He said he had no idea what he was getting into when he came to Chicago's defense. So, in that sense, he was a lot like Williams will be going to the Bears offense with veterans like Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and D'Andrew Swift on it.

"I mean, initially when I got traded I really didn't understand the type of defense that I really walked into," Sweat said. "They weas only missing like one or two pieces."

The stretch run by the defense impressed Sweat, particularly the 12-10 win at Minnesota.

"It was like to interception, sacks, it was like, man, like I've really got a good group of guys around me. Coach Flus (Matt Eberflus) was teaching nothin but turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. It was crazy."

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