Menu
Labor and Agents

Don’t Sweat it: USG makes sweet find with quick defensive end

The arrows on the draft status of Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat are going up since he stunned NFL scouts at the combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, a record for a defensive lineman.

“When we first signed him, we thought he was a top-50, top-40 player,” said Brian Overstreet, NFL agent at United Sports Group, who represents Sweat with his partner, Rodney Williams. “But certainly his draft status has improved.”

Sweat, who is 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, impressed observers at this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl, as well.

NFL Draft Scout analyst Rob Rang called Sweat “the most gifted player at the Senior Bowl” and said he “wowed scouts” with a wide receiver-like 40 time. “Possessing a similar degree of vertical explosiveness as former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, Sweat is among a handful of Pro Bowl-caliber edge rushers available in the 2019 draft warranting top-10 consideration,” Rang said.

Overstreet didn’t actually see Sweat break the record live, as agents are not allowed in the stadium in Indianapolis where the combine is held. He and Williams were watching it on television, he said. “And they went to a commercial right when Montez was supposed to run,” Overstreet said. “When we were watching the commercial I got a text from one of the scouts I know.”

According to Overstreet, the text was one word: “Wow.”

United Sports Group also has signed another potential first-round pick, Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield. Additionally, the agency has signed Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams, SMU cornerback Jordan Wyatt, Iowa State cornerback Brian Peavy, Baylor defensive end/linebacker Greg Roberts, Houston safety Garrett Davis, Arkansas safety Santos Ramirez, Prairie View A&M defensive end/linebacker Quinton Bell and University of the Incarnate Word linebacker Silas Stewart.

Montez Sweat turned heads and moved up draft boards with his 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.getty images

FIRST PICKS GETS ‘GREEDY’: First Picks Sports Management has signed several top prospects for this year’s NFL draft, including Louisiana State cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams, a projected first-round pick.

Veteran NFL agent Jerome Stanley is representing Williams, who led the Southeastern Conference in interceptions and passes defended as a freshman and is a two-time first-team All-SEC player. Draft analyst Rang had Williams ranked No. 14 on his mock draft last week, behind Washington cornerback Byron Murphy, but said Williams could be the first player taken at the position, based on his performance at the NFL combine.

“Williams strengthened his hold as the likely first cornerback off the board in the 2019 draft simply by living up to expectations, measuring in just under 6-foot-2 and being timed at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash,” Rang said. “Along with his top-end speed and height, Williams is remarkably fluid changing directions and possesses terrific ball skills, making him not only a cover corner but a turnover-generating one, at that.”

Williams had to cut his combine workout short after running one of the fastest 40s at the event, but will hold workouts he missed at his pro day, Stanley said.

First Picks had five other NFL prospect clients invited to the combine: N.C. State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon, Nebraska wide receiver Stanley Morgan, Colorado safety Evan Worthington, Washington linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and Washington running back Myles Gaskin. The players are represented by NFL agents Christopher Ellison, Erik Schmella and Stanley, who formed First Picks about four years ago.

CAA SPORTS PROMOTIONS: Creative Artists Agency announced earlier this month that it had promoted 21 trainees to agent, including four who work in the Hollywood agency’s sports business. Sam Rose has been elevated to agent in CAA Sports’ basketball department, and Cavan Walsh has been promoted to agent in CAA Sports’ coaches division. Additionally, Maddi Mobley has been promoted to executive in CAA Brand Consulting, and Alexandra Wakefield has been elevated to executive in CAA Sports’ golf consulting group.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/03/18/Labor-and-Agents/Labor-and-Agents.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/03/18/Labor-and-Agents/Labor-and-Agents.aspx

CLOSE