For all of the bad that the 2024 Tennessee Titans had to offer, the front office quietly recorded a solid draft class that could be part of the foundation during their rebuild. JC Latimore, T’Vondre Sweat, and Jarvis Brownlee all played significant roles as rookies, and James Williams and Cedric Gray are making moves during training camp.

There is an excitement building in Tennessee, and many young players sit at the core of its foundation. One of those young pieces that many expect to have a bigger impact in 2025 is defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who was named one of the 20 most important second-year NFL defenders by ESPN’s Ben Solak.

T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Tennessee Titans

The Titans like to take risks in the draft, and Sweat was no exception. A 366-pound defensive tackle comes with uncertainty. How will his conditioning hold up over the course of an NFL season? Can he win with penetration and in the pass rush, or will he always be a two-gapper?

There are still some questions here. Sweat played 699 snaps, which was 66% of the possible defensive snaps. It was more than I would have expected and speaks well to his fitness. But he isn’t a pass-rush presence. In 332 such snaps, he had a 6.9% pressure rate, well below the defensive tackle average of 8.9%. He had only eight quick QB pressures, and his sack conversion rate (his ability to turn those pressures into sacks) was 4.3%, which is about as low as it gets.

The Titans did take a risk by selecting Sweat in the second round, but that risk paid off. Sweat was better than advertised. Known as a run stuffer, Sweat flashed athleticism and pass rush ability that can take his game to the next level once refined.

Advertisement

The Titans’ defensive line is the strength of their defense, and Sweat is the anchor in the middle who makes things happen by drawing double teams at a high rate. Heading into Year 2, Sweat is looking to take the next step with his pass rush and capitalize on Tennessee’s shift in philosophy, attacking the quarterback.

Currently sidelined with an abdominal injury, the Titans staff is being cautious with his rehab. Sweat is an integral part of the team’s future success, and they need him to be healthy heading into the season.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: T’Vondre Sweat one of most important second-year defenders in 2025