An athletic freak with little production to speak of.
With the 17th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart.
Stewart has tons of potential, but he is one of the players in the class with the least stats behind his resume. In three seasons at Texas A&M, Stewart recorded only 4.5 sacks.
With Trey Hendrickson’s situation still in limbo, the Bengals opted to go with a bit of a risk at defensive end, with the potential for tremendous upside.
What he brings to the Bengals:
Potential: New defensive coordinator Al Golden gets an exceptional athlete that he can try to mold into an effective pass rusher. At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Stewart ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February. He also recorded a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump.
Competition: Regardless of what happens with Hendrickson, the Bengals needed competition in their pass rush unit. With Sam Hubbard retired, Joseph Ossai on a one-year deal and the jury still out on Myles Murphy, Stewart will compete for snaps early.
Why the Bengals picked Stewart:
Potential: With little college production, you’ll hear a lot about Stewart’s potential. With a physical profile that has been compared to Myles Garrett and a 9.99 RAS score out of a possible 10, Stewart has all of the physical traits you could want in a pass rusher.
There weren’t many mocks with Stewart ending up in stripes, but the Bengals brass saw enough in him to invest a premium pick in him. It’s worth pointing out that the consensus big board did have Stewart ranked 18th overall and as high as 12th, so this wasn’t a reach by any stretch. It just wasn’t necessarily a pick on someone you’ll feel confident about making an impact in Year 1.
What do you think of the selection? Let us know in the comments!