BEREA, Ohio — A few years ago, even Josh Sweat would have found it comical if someone compared him to Jadeveon Clowney.
On Thursday, Lane Johnson made that comparison.
No one laughed.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE “Going against [Clowney], I feel like he’s very similar to Sweat,” Johnson said. “Good get-off, long, strong. It was a good matchup today.”
The Eagles’ Pro Bowl right tackle saw Clowney for pretty much every snap the two were on the field together Thursday during the first of two joint practices between the Eagles and Browns.
Clowney is a three-time Pro Bowler and a former No. 1 overall pick. He’s obviously more accomplished than Sweat.
But after facing both this summer, Johnson definitely sees the similarities.
NFL
“Just their type of body style,” Johnson said. “Long, lean, quick twitch, good burst.”
Earlier this summer, Sweat chuckled when asked about how far he’s come since his rookie season in 2018. While Sweat was once a highly-touted college recruit, he was a fourth-round pick out of Florida State and his rookie season in the NFL ended after just nine games. The Eagles put him on IR with an ankle injury that really shouldn’t have kept him out of the rest of the season.
Simply put, Sweat wasn’t ready to contribute in 2018. That was the year Clowney made his third consecutive Pro Bowl team.
In his rookie season, Sweat was noticeably wiry but began to add muscle to his long frame. These days, Sweat is listed at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds. Clowney (listed at 6-5, 255) has a very similar build.
It’s a build that can be very dangerous.
Over the last three years, the momentum in Sweat’s career has been building. He became a rotational player in 2019 and had 4.0 sacks. He continued his progress in that rotation in 2020 with 6 sacks. And last year, he became a starter, notching 7.5 sacks and eventually became a Pro Bowler as an alternate.
“Shoot, I know how to play fast now,” Sweat said earlier in camp. “I don’t think too much. Just go, go off instincts. I know the game a lot better now. It’s just easy now.”
Perhaps you already think Sweat had his breakout season in the NFL. But he’s gotten better and better throughout his time in the NFL and he’s about to enter his second season as a starter and his second in Jonathan Gannon’s defense. He might be able to do something this season that Clowney has never done: Reach double digit sacks.
Sweat’s off to a good start. He’s had an impressive 2022 training camp. On Thursday, he kept that going as he chased down Jacoby Brissett for a sack.
“I remember like two or three years ago, I think I was telling y’all, I think this guy’s going to be a good player if he keeps up his consistency,” Johnson said. “He just has that quick twitch and that burst. A lot of the good pass rushers have power and can set up things off that and he does that. I’m pushing for him to have a big year.”
Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube