Redskins news: PFF shares dominating numbers for rookie Montez Sweat

Many people thought the Washington Redskins got a steal in rookie pass-rusher Montez Sweat. Well, the numbers probably don't lie.

If rookie Washington Redskins pass rusher Montez Sweat's college football statistics hold up, he should become a defensive force in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus tweeted some interesting statistics about Sweat on May 22. The website ranked him the 90th-best defensive player in the NFL with an overall grade of 86.9.

Montez Sweat was dominant in 2018 with Mississippi State pic.twitter.com/UL4O7LAwC8

— PFF (@PFF) May 22, 2019

The Redskins made Sweat the 26th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft after a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. Sweat's teammate, outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, was in awe the first time he saw him.

“Big, big dude,” Kerrigan told Kyle Stackpole of the Redskins' official website during OTAs on May 21. “And for him to have a 4.4 [40-yard dash time], it's kind of like, ‘Oh, my God.'”

For his part, Washington linebacker Mason Foster dubbed Sweat “a monster,” per Redskins.com.

"All I know is that he is big, tall, long, and he works. That’s all that matters." @_sweat9 new teammates sing his praises after working with him during OTAs.

📝: https://t.co/RuCamYsrzw pic.twitter.com/BgKk1FKJr7

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 22, 2019

On the other hand, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden told Stackpole on Tuesday that Sweat will “play a lot.”

I have no doubt that he's going to play a lot. The skill set that he has is quite evident.

You see his length and then you watch him run after practice and he's faster than anybody we have probably right now.

He eats up ground when he runs. It's like three strides and he's all the way across the field.

The Redskins lost inside linebacker Reuben Foster for the entire 2019 NFL season after he tore his ACL during his first OTA practice on May 20. His potential replacements include Jon Bostic, Mason Foster, Cole Holcomb, and Josh Harvey-Clemons.

Did the loss of Foster weaken the Redskins' defense considerably? The presence of a stud pass rusher like Montez Sweat should offset that. From all indications, Sweat should terrorize the NFC East for years to come.