One of the biggest problem areas the Denver Broncos have had to fix in the 2024 offseason is the 30th-ranked run defense from a season ago. The Broncos were horrendous defensively in the early portion of the season and were obviously embarrassed in an outlier of an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins. The primary culprit for the team's incompetence defensively started on the defensive front.
The Broncos have made some moves to get better there this offseason, signing Malcolm Roach from the Saints and most recently, Angelo Blackson of the Jaguars. The additions the team has made on the defensive line through free agency will likely be coupled by some moves in the 2024 NFL Draft, where Texas nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat is generally considered one of the best overall prospects.
And the Denver Broncos are reportedly hosting him on a pre-draft visit...
More:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 15, 2024
-- #Texas RB Jonathon Brooks is visiting the #Chiefs today.
-- #Kentucky LB Trevin Wallace is visiting the #Bucs today and tomorrow.
-- #Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat is visiting the #Broncos and #Chiefs this week. https://t.co/waaMfMIPtV
Sweat, however, is also one of the most controversial players in this class because while he's a phenomenal talent on the field, there are issues off the field. Sweat has been given the label "party animal" and "class clown" according to Dane Brugler's sources in the NFL scouting community. Those labels could be potentially written off as just a young man living it up while he's at college, but Sweat was arrested and charged with a DWI just weeks before the 2024 NFL Draft.
That is the kind of incompetence that can take even a 1st-round prospect into the realm of undrafted free agent. Brugler, who is essentially the "general manager" of The Athletic, has Sweat ranked as a 4th-round prospect. The Broncos hold six selections on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and a player like Sweat -- even considering his off-field troubles and reputation -- could end up being a worthwhile risk at that juncture of the draft.
A guy who is getting into legal trouble this close to the draft might be considered undraftable for some, but every player carries some level of risk once you get to Day 3. The Broncos might be willing to take the risk on a player like Sweat, who will hopefully see his most recent incident as the most shocking wake-up call possible.
The Broncos' defensive line is currently lacking a true nose tackle. Sweat could provide that, and he could potentially give the Broncos a Day 2 value at some point on Day 3. But his visit to the team facility will likely be to answer questions the team may have about his personal character and overall makeup. That meeting could be the determining factor of whether or not Sweat remains on the team's draft board at all.