Bengals find pass-rusher in Texas A&M's Stewart

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 17th overall.

Stewart is a freak athlete who was one of the biggest stories during the NFL combine. He'll give the Bengals a chance at finding pass-rush help after ranking 24th in sacks per game last season.

Trey Hendrickson, the 2024 team leader in sacks, is in contract discussions with Cincinnati, and his future with the club is uncertain.

Pre-draft profile

Stewart is a bit of a project, but an intriguing one nonetheless. The production profile is less than ideal. Recording 1.5 sacks in each of your three college seasons won't excite anyone. Those alarming numbers are largely a result of his raw skill set. He hasn't developed his technique or rush plan to consistently win matchups. But Stewart is a bet on upside, and there's plenty of it. The Texas A&M product is simply built different. There aren't many athletes with his size and raw power who can also move like him. Those abilities were on full display at the combine, earning him a perfect 10 in profile grade, according to Relative Athletic Score. Stewart will need time and patience to grow the finer points of his game. There's no guarantee he makes good on his potential, but his freakish athleticism has established a ceiling that's worth taking a shot on.