NFL Events: Combine Player Profiles

Grade

35.0 INCH
Top Performer

6'4" Height
212LBS. Weight

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Overview

Entering his final season, Sweed was rated the best receiver in college football and one of the nation's top 25 draft prospects by ESPN. However, a left wrist injury that started to bother him in spring camp carried over into fall drills. The injury would force Sweed to the sidelines for stretches throughout the first six games of his final season. His year would finally come to a close after he underwent surgery in mid-October to repair ligament damage.

Before his career would come to a close, Sweed etched his name into the Longhorns' record books. The two-time All-Big 12 selection ranks second in school history with 20 touchdown catches. While starting 39 consecutive games, he totaled 1,915 yards receiving, the fifth-best season total in Texas history. He also hauled in 124 passes, good for sixth place on UT's all-time record list.

Sweed formed an instant bond with quarterback Colt McCoy, who threw 15 touchdowns to the receiver.

"I think he gets overlooked a lot because he's a great receiver -- he has such great hands," McCoy said. "When we have running plays, anytime we make a big play, it's because Limas is down there making a block."

Sweed lettered three times as a wide receiver and free safety at Brenham High School. He was a Class 4A second-team All-State and first-team All-Greater Houston selection on offense and an All-District honoree on both sides of the ball as a senior, playing in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American game. He also earned 4A honorable mention All-State and All-District honors as a junior, and while primarily playing defense he was tabbed the District's Sophomore of the Year in 2000.

Nearly half of his 72 catches (31) in his final three seasons went for touchdowns. Sweed also averaged 23.4 yards per reception (72 for 1,684 yards), as he helped lead the team to a 14-2 record and a berth in the Texas 4A Division II Championship game in 2002. He caught 38 passes for 796 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding 44 tackles and five interceptions on defense that year.

Sweed had 22 receptions for 656 yards and 13 scores and added a pair of interceptions as the team posted an 11-2 record during his junior season. As a sophomore, he recorded 89 tackles and three interceptions, adding 12 catches for 232 yards and six touchdowns that season.

He also lettered four times in track, performing mostly in the hurdles. Sweed placed fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.10 seconds) at the 2003 Texas 4A track-and-field meet and finished sixth as a junior (14.34). He lettered four times in basketball as a forward, earning All-District honors as a junior after averaging 12 points and eight rebounds per game.

After redshirting at Texas in 2003, Sweed took over split end duties for the final seven contests of the 2004 campaign. He went on to catch 23 passes for 263 yards (11.4 avg) and also made a solo tackle in 11 contests.

Sweed earned All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention as a sophomore. Starting 13 games for the national championship squad, he came up with 36 receptions for 545 yards (15.1 avg) and five touchdowns while also making a pair of solo tackles.

With the team opening up its passing attack in 2006, Sweed paced the Longhorns with 46 catches for 801 yards (17.4 avg) and 12 touchdowns, setting a school record with at least one scoring grab in seven consecutive games. The All-Big 12 Conference first-team pick also gained 5 yards on a rushing attempt and scored 72 points.

After his junior campaign, reports filtered to the media that Sweed was going to file early for the 2007 NFL Draft. The receiver quickly shot down those rumors. "I feel like I'm a leader on this team, and I want to be a positive influence on the younger guys," said Sweed. "That's why I think it's important for me to come back, develop as a player and get my degree. My intention is to help this team win as many games as we can."

Injuries sidetracked Sweed in 2007, ending his season after six games. In and out of the lineup due to his wrist injury, he managed just 306 yards on 19 catches (16.1 avg), scoring three times. He also carried once for a 1-yard loss.

In 43 games at Texas, Sweed started his last 39 contests. He was credited with 124 catches for 1,915 yards (15.4 avg) and 20 touchdowns. He scored 120 points while gaining 4 yards on two carries and recording three solo tackles.

Analysis

Strengths

Positives: Has a tall, well-built and rare-sized frame, with proportioned muscles, good chest and upper body development, nice arm length, large hands and developed legs and calves...Has the straight-line speed and acceleration needed to be effective in the vertical passing game...Not a precise route runner, but his long stride helps him compensate and eat up the defender's cushion...Possesses good quickness and change-of-direction agility, along with excellent leaping ability, but he must improve his timing competing for jump balls...Fluid in his stride, showing the body control and the ability to adjust to the ball in flight...Has the arm extension and flexibility to elevate and make the acrobatic catches...Has good field awareness and is alert to coverages and locating the soft areas underneath...Displays good toughness and leadership, working hard in practices and studying tapes to gain advantage over his opponents...Has that extra gear needed to gain advantage coming off the snap (when he doesn't try to get into battles with the press defender)...Smooth into his routes and will get physical with the defender in route progression (feels every thrown ball is his)...Strong runner who might not run crisp routes, but has the natural burst and quickness to separate...Uses his long stride well to quickly close a defender's cushion, and while he still needs refinement here, when he drops his weight while making cuts he generates much better foot quickness...Needs to figure out how to beat the jam with other moves, but can overpower a smaller defender...Does a nice job of settling in the short area and has the awareness with good body control to work himself free from a crowd...Talented receiver on the boundary, as he is good at finding throwing lanes for his quarterback when attacking the zone...Does gather some in his routes, but flashes good ability to adjust to the coverage, doing a nice job of uncovering...Natural adjuster to off-line throws and can make a great catch while keeping his feet along the sidelines...Displays good ball skills and hands when hauling in the ball with defenders draped on him (will lose concentration at times, but it is not from a lack of courage)...Not the type who will double or body catch, as he is very effective at using his reach to extend for the ball and does a good job of looking the pass in over his outside shoulder...The thing you see on film is his ability to execute the comeback and stay square going for the ball...Has good reaction quickness to look the ball in and will not hesitate to assert himself in order to run unimpeded down the sidelines...Can pluck the ball outside of his frame and make the tough catches...Has the speed and acceleration to stretch the field vertically and the balls skills necessary to haul in the deep pass...Must do a better job of timing his leaps, but he has the flexibility to adjust for the high, low and behind tosses...Likes to overpower defenders after the catch, but does have nifty moves to elude (just doesn't use them often)...Strong runner, especially when he catches the ball in front of the defender. Negatives: Has excellent size and good strength, but he is not a face-up blocker and tends to shy away from contact when asked to lead block on sweeps and outside runs...Has had several problems with his left wrist that forced him to undergo mid-season surgery in 2007 and further medical evaluation is advised...Has a very fluid running stride, but is raw in his route running technique and needs to refine his plant-and-drive agility coming out of breaks (takes soft angle cuts, at times)...Also needs to show better stop-and-go action, as he will take a few false steps when trying to redirect back to the quarterback...Breaks off his routes too early when trying to get separation, and while he has a good reach he spends too much time trying to overpower press coverage defenders rather than trying to slip past and avoid...Also likes to combat with the defenders down field in attempts to get them out of their backpedal early, but it also ends up slowing down his route progression...Has had a history of concentration problems which prevents him from getting proper position to make the catch...Must do a better job of looking the ball in and securing it before trying to run with it (leads to dropped balls)...Has good leaping ability, but shows poor timing and arm extension trying to battle for jump balls (left 20 of 39 passes thrown to him behind in 2007)...More of a straight-line runner who can get under the pass nicely running straight-line routes, but lacks the loose hips to get a clean break and is more apt to break arm tackles rather than elude the defender in the open...For some reason, he failed to drop his weight and keep his feet working through pattern progression in 2007. Compares To: ANDRE JOHNSON-Houston...While Sweed is taller than Johnson and Johnson has better separation ability, both are long striders with a good burst off the line vs. a clean release. He is quick to gobble up the cushion and get behind the defender, but he is not the most polished route runner you will find. With his size and ability to shield the ball from defenders, he does a fine job of getting to the ball in a crowd. However, he must show better concentration skills, as he has left quite a few thrown balls on the ground. When out in front of the defense, he can take the ball to the house, evident by his 20 touchdown catches. If he gets a clean bill of health leading up to the draft, he will be able to secure first-day draft status.

Grade	Title	Draft (Round)	Description
96-100	Future Hall of Famer	Top Pick	A once-in-a-generation type prospect who could change how his position is played
85-95	Immediate Starter	1st	An impact player with the ability/intangibles to become a Pro Bowl player. Expect to start immediately except in a unique situation (i.e. behind a veteran starter).
70-84	Eventual Starter	2nd-3rd	A quality player who will contribute to the team early on and is expected to develop into a starter. A reliable player who brings value to the position.
50-69	Draftable Player	4th-7th	A prospect with the ability to make team as a backup/role player. Needs to be a special teams contributor at applicable positions. Players in the high range of this category might have long-term potential.
20-49	Free Agent	UDFA	A player with solid measurables, intangibles, college achievements, or a developing skill that warrants an opportunity in an NFL camp. In the right situation, he could earn a place on a 53-man roster, but most likely will be a practice squad player or a camp body.

Limas Sweed

WR Texas

Grade

35.0 INCH

Overview

Analysis

Strengths