NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger is a big fan of the trade that brought T’Vondre Sweat from the Tennessee Titans to the Jets. After praising the transaction that sent Jermaine Johnson to the Titans, Baldinger dubbed Sweat “T-Pain.”

If the Jets at times employ a 3-4 defensive front, HC Aaron Glenn and D-line coach Karl Dunbar expect Sweat (6-4, 366) to bring the pain to the opposition.

“Nobody can stop him when you have a guy that’s that big with the feet,” said Turron Davenport, the ESPN Nation Tennessee Titans reporter. “He was a big-time hooper in the Houston area [Sweat is from Huntsville, TX]. He got a lot of rebounds. That takes that footwork and to be that big and move the way he does.” He added: “He has some sweet feet.”

Sweat, 24, was selected by the Titans No. 38 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played in all 17 games his rookie season and had 51 total tackles (22 solo), a sack and 4 TFL while taking 66% of the snaps on defense. After his first season, Pro Football Focus graded him a 75.0 overall against the ground attack, the eighth-best in the NFL among the 99 qualifying defensive tackles.

He was limited to 12 games last season after he sustained an ankle injury in Week 1 at Denver, missed a game, returned and then re-injured the ankle and ended up on injured reserve until mid-October.

In his fifth and final season in college playing for Texas, Sweat won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior defensive lineman. He had 45 total tackles (18 solo), 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 PDs, and was credited with 28 total pressures (23 hurries, 3 hits, plus those pair of sacks).

“I think he could be one of the best run-stoppers in the league because I’ve seen this guy push an O-lineman into the running back,” Davenport said. “He didn’t get credit for the tackle, because he never tackled the back. He just knocked the guard into him. He has a really good swim move that he uses to get in the backfield quickly. And when you’re a guard or an interior lineman, and you’re used to absorbing that bull rush, you ghost it and swim like that, and now that’s just another way to get to the quarterback. I think he could be one of the best run-stuffers in the league.”

S Dane Belton: ‘I Make Plays on the Ball’
Unlike most relocating free agents in the NFL, S Dane Belton is only changing colors, he won’t have to change much else. After four seasons plying his trade for the Giants, Belton, 25, will be training a few miles west in green and white at the Atlanta Health Jets Training Center.

He said it was the right move.

“I do everything, high-energy guy,” Belton told team reporter Susanna Weir. “I make plays on the ball. That’s kind of my signature, getting the ball and being able to do that for this team will be huge. And just have fun and play good football.”

Belton (6-1, 190) was selected out of Iowa by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Across four seasons with the team, he appeared in 66 regular-season games (22 starts) and 2 postseason games, totaling 240 tackles, 8 TFL, 16 PD, 6 INTs and 4 forced fumbles. He played a career-high 705 defensive snaps last season. He has also been a consistent contributor on special teams, playing at least 70% of snaps in each of the last three seasons.

He said that his decision was influenced by an organization and team on the rise under the direction of a coach who has his respect.

“Just looking at the organization, the leadership from top to bottom,” Belton said. “Aaron Glenn, defensive head coach. What he’s done as a player in the league, and also as a defensive coordinator and head coach. Just really intriguing and I want to be a part of it. And the culture, talking to guys that I know that were on the team before, talking about what they’re building toward. It really excites me and I’m happy to be here.”