What is the grade for the Bengals selection?
The 2025 first round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals is officially in…
Duke Tobin and his staff made the call and selected Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart.
The Bengals are in desperate need of filling defensive positions and the front office has now selected a defensive player for the third time in four years.
Stewart, the 6-foot-6 DE, tallied 31 tackles in 2024 with 1.5 sacks on the season.
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein shared his thoughts on Stewart.
Stewart is carved from granite, possessing a rare blend of traits, explosiveness and untapped upside. He’s long and sudden off the snap but hasn’t learned to weaponize his hands to control the point of attack and bypass protection with go-to moves. His bull-rush compresses the pocket off the edge, and he’s too athletic for guards when reduced inside. He can be very disruptive in both phases but requires additional training to start converting his opportunities into finishes. The lack of production relative to the traits is a concern; still, players who move like him are highly coveted. While the boom-or-bust label might be in play, it feels like a matter of time before it all starts to click at a high level.
Stewart shows quite a bit of upside with his athleticism and size combination, but he’ll need to be an instant-impact caliber guy this upcoming season.
The Miami native does have insane movement for his size and is a powerful player with NFL-caliber physical traits.
Although the pick may not be as exciting as Bengals fans had hoped for, Stewart could be a freak for the Bengals if he plays at the level Tobin and his staff are hoping for.
All in all, I give the selection a C+ as the Bengals select Shemar Stewart with pick number 17.
How would you grade the pick?