Of all the polarizing headlines around the new-look Tennessee Titans coming into training camp, few were bigger than those surrounding rookie 38th overall pick T'Vondre Sweat. He was someone who already had red flags before he was even drafted, and OTA's did not do much to make fans feel better about those concerns.
He was dealing with an injury for the majority of that time, and although it was never going to sideline him for training camp, it was not a good sign at all. Many were understandably worried that his conditioning and overall physical shape were contributing to the injury, and that it was something that would struggle to get fixed.
One week into training camp, the discussion around Sweat has taken a turn, and one for the better. Of course, the Titans didn't put pads on until Tuesday's practice, nor have they played a real game yet. Sweat deserves some credit for stringing together standout practices though.
T'Vondre Sweat has responded to criticism and adversity at a critical time
Sweat was in a tough position coming into training camp, due to both his own doing and the nature of playing in the NFL as a rookie. Because he had a rough go during OTA's, he missed a chance to get into football shape during Spring workouts. His acclimation has been an on-the-fly process.
Despite the tall order, Sweat has risen to the occasion so far and shined at multiple points throughout the last few days. It started last Wednesday when he made a great play against Lloyd Cushenberry. A rookie getting the better of a real established NFL center is nothing to scoff at, even in a pad-less practice.
It continued at Saturday's practice at Nissan Stadium, when Sweat got into the backfield to blow up a play against the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills. Showing that consistency was a breath of fresh air for Titans fans, and reminded them of why his talent warranted a top-50 pick.
Now, this does not mean that Sweat won't go through some more tough times, and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker acknowledged that he is still a work in progress. Rocker mentioned that Sweat is still not in ideal NFL shape, but that his effort, desire, and mentality are there, and that he is getting better and better each day.
If you're a Titans fan, you cannot ask for much more at this point. It is clear that Sweat is dedicated to his craft, and the results we've seen even via small sample sizes should make people feel better about him than they did weeks ago.
If Sweat continues to make progress, then the vision of Dennard Wilson's ideal defense could become a reality sooner rather than later, which would be a nightmare for opposing offenses throughout the league. There is certainly more reason to believe that could happen after last week.