Former Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat has been a bit of a draft mystery since it was reported that a pre-existing heart condition had been discovered at the NFL Scouting Combine.
But hours before the draft kicks off, NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport reports that follow-up examinations suggest that Sweat’s condition was misdiagnosed.
Sweat’s condition wasn’t publicly known prior to the combine. Doctors determined his condition to be low-risk, according to NFL.com, and allowed Sweat to participate.
Sweat was reportedly originally diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which leads to thickening of the heart wall, but a doctor who performed follow-up tests disagreed with the findings. According to Rapaport, one team suggested the measurement of the heart wall had been done wrong by accident.
Sweat ran a blazing 4.41-second, 40-yard dash at the combine, topping the previous mark for a defensive lineman shared by North Carolina State’s Manny Lawson (2006) and Isaac Hilton (2004) from Hampton. The performance elevated him into contention to be a possible Top 10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Sweat’s agents downplayed the original report last month.
“Because of privacy issues we are not allowed to comment specifically,” the statement began, “but I will tell you that this is not news. Montez is the same person that was medically cleared to play and dominate the SEC, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL combine. No change in health and no change in domination!”
Sweat ranked among the SEC leaders in sacks and tackles for loss in each of his two seasons (2017-18) with the Bulldogs, tallying a combined 22.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in 2017-18.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Sweat posted a time that was faster than all but one of 23 running backs tested.
