PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat has been a rising star ever since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Many draft analysts even said after the selection that Sweat could be the steal of the draft.
That appears to be the case four seasons in, and the Eagles know it.
On Saturday, the franchise decided to invest in Sweat as a long-term, core piece of the defense, signing the Florida State-product to a three-year contract extension worth upwards of $42 million.
It made sense.
Sweat has taken significant steps every year in meeting his star-potential ceiling. Despite playing less than 40% of the snaps in both 2019 and 2020, Sweat still finished with 10 total sacks between the two seasons.
He was the most efficient defensive player with a physical skill set that only a few pass-rushers across the NFL possess.
And yet, when it comes time for game day, Sweat is still being used as a rotating role player.
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Early on in his NFL career, the role of a pass-rushing specialist on third down and long yardage situations made sense.
Sweat was coming off serious knee issues from his amateur career, and his all-around game wasn't polished yet to be a three-down starter.
Now? In his fourth year? That is no longer the case.
Sweat has been able to stay healthy and become a much more complete player.
That is why the Eagles felt comfortable paying him over their 2017 first round defensive end Derek Barnett.
However, Barnett has continued to be the starter this season over Sweat.
On Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Sweat played in just 40% of the defensive snaps finishing with 28 total reps.
Meanwhile, Barnett played 45 snaps, 64% of the defensive plays.
It wasn't just Barnett that saw more snaps than Sweat despite being outplayed by Sweat in performance.
Veteran pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan played in 46% of the snaps with 32 total, four more than Sweat.
Are the Eagles still afraid about Sweat's injury history? Do they view Barnett and Kerrigan as more reliable players against the run and in situations that a pass isn't obvious?
If either are the case, why hand him a contract that pays him like a full-time starter?
The positive for those wanting Sweat to be featured is the Week 1 snap count in Atlanta.
He finished with 39 snaps, five more than Kerrigan, and six more than Barnett.
With Brandon Graham lost for the season due to a torn Achilles, Sweat will have to step up.
The question is, how consistently will the Eagles allow him to have that chance?
Time will tell.
