With so much money tied up in so few players, the Cincinnati Bengals absolutely need to hit on their draft picks. Last year, the Bengals made six picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Each of the six earned some playing time, though players like Dylan Fairchild and Demetrius Knight Jr. were routine starters. While it’s good to get plenty of time from your second and third-round picks, the first-round picks are expected to be the ones to immediately contribute.
So, naturally, the Bengals drafted Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M. When the pick came in, the reaction was immediate. Bengals fans from all over took to social media to scold the front office for flubbing another first-round pick. A player who was 99% tools and traits and 1% production, the perceived ceiling for Stewart was high, but he was a project. The Bengals could not afford to waste time on a project and needed an immediate impact player like, say, Jihaad Campbell, Jahdae Barron, or Derrick Harmon. Stewart’s 4.5 career sacks in 37 games did not excite the fanbase.
Well, now that the season is in the rearview, plenty of fans are already writing off Stewart as the latest bust. Pro Football Focus took a look at five disappointing first-round picks from last year and decided how much concern a fanbase should have moving forward. While Ashton Jeanyy and Travis Hunter earned “low” grades (ie., you should not be too concerned), Stewart and Miami Dolphins pick Kenneth Grant carry the tag of “high” concern. Cam Ward is in the middle with “moderate” concern, for what it’s worth.
PFF Names Bengals Rookie a High Concern to Bust
What They Said
PFF’s Jim Wyman authored the piece and went into detail, backing up the claim:
“A lot was made of Stewart’s selection by the Bengals at 17th overall in last year’s draft. With Trey Hendrickson’s future with the team up in the air, they needed to find another edge defender who could step in should Hendrickson be unavailable. Stewart’s tenure with the Bengals began with a holdout over contract details that caused some uncertainty about his future in Cincinnati.
“After that was sorted, though, Stewart put together an interesting rookie season, to say the least. He came out of the gates hot with an 86.3 PFF overall grade in his debut but never sniffed that number again, with a 66.2 mark being his highest-graded outing afterward. In all, Stewart earned a 41.0 PFF overall grade, fueled by a 56.0 PFF pass-rush grade and an abysmal 29.3 PFF run-defense grade.
“Stewart didn’t record his first sack until Week 17 against the Cardinals, and even then, it came after the quarterback had been holding the ball for more than four seconds. Stewart registered just 15 pressures on 181 pass-rush attempts. His lack of improvement as the season wore on — after he was considered such a raw prospect — should have the Bengals worried about their top investment from 2025.”
Fair? Or are we overreacting?
Read More: ‘Should the Bengals Trade Back?’ – This Bengals Mock Draft Answers That Question
Time Will Tell
Therin lies the caveat that Stewart only played in eight games. Obviously, the greatest ability is availability. It’s not really that fair to label him a bust based on that alone. However, what he did – or, rather, didn’t do – in those eight games is what is so concerning.
As PFF said, he had 181 pass-rush snaps and only generated 15 pressures. In terms of counting stats, Stewart managed five solo tackles and added six assists. Those five tackles tied him with Tahj Brooks and Ja’Marr Chase, and he had fewer than every defender on the roster except for eight. The key for EDGE players are sacks. He only managed one sack, and it took him until Week 17 after the quarterback held the ball for over five seconds.
Whether or not the fanbase thinks he’s a bust is irrelevant. The Bengals used the 17th overall pick. He’s in Cincinnati for four years, barring a nuclear collapse. The team knew he was a project and it is going to keep him around and build with him in mind. Giving up on a first-round player is not the way to build a winning franchise. However, the Bengals need to add to the EDGE room this offseason. If Stewart and Myles Murphy are your go-to pass rushers in 2026, it’s going to be another long season.
Stewart still needs to develop. If he posts these stats after 2026, we can have a real conversation about his bust status.