Redskins thought about drafting Montez Sweat at 15

ASHBURN — The Washington Redskins traded back into the first round Thursday to grab Mississippi State pass rusher Montez Sweat.

But Redskins coach Jay Gruden said the team seriously considered taking him with the 15th pick instead of quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Washington needed a pass rusher after former starter Preston Smith left in free agency.

Gruden called the trade — which saw the Redskins send the 46th pick and a 2020 second-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for the 26th overall pick — a “no-brainer.”

“When you watch him as a player throughout his college career and then you watch him at the Senior Bowl and the combine, the measurables are second-to-none as far as an edge rusher, outside linebacker type player,” Gruden said. “If you’re 6-foot-6, run a 4.41 40 (yard dash) and you had the production that he had at Mississippi State … it’s just a perfect fit for us.”

Gruden said the Redskins settled on Haskins because a quarterback was too hard to pass up. 

Sweat was touted for his athleticism and physical attributes. At the combine, he measured an eye-popping 84 ¾ inch wingspan. Last season, he recorded 11 ½ sacks.

But Sweat fell in the first round, perhaps over concerns about his health. Sweat was reportedly diagnosed with a heart condition at the scouting combine, though the linebacker told reporters he was told recently by a doctor from the Houston Texans he was misdiagnosed.

Gruden said the Redskins “feel good” about Sweat’s health.

“We’ve done our due diligence on this,” Gruden said. “We feel very strongly that he’s a strong, healthy young man.”