Tag: shemar Stewart

Bengals build out depth at edge in latest ESPN mock draft

The Bengals add to Trey Hendrickson’s position in a new mock draft.

Priority No.1 for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason is to try and keep wide receiver Tee Higgins long-term. Priority No. 1B, if you will, is to find help on the edge getting to the quarterback.

Trey Hendrickson led the league this season with 17.5 sacks. No other Bengals player had more than five. The Bengals could stand to add some help for Hendrickson, especially if they decide to move on from Sam Hubbard.

The Bengals do just that in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller. Not just in round one but also in round two.

First, at No. 17, the Bengals go with Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M. Stewart is fresh off a strong week in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl. Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick named Stewart the best edge defender.

“The lack of talent around Trey Hendrickson on the Bengals’ defense was a huge reason Cincinnati missed the playoffs for a second straight season,” wrote Miller. Along with a new defensive coordinator, we should expect several key defensive additions in the offseason.

Stewart is a tough evaluation. He checks every box, from his 6-foot-5, 281-pound size to his speed and power. But he had only 1.5 sacks in the each of the past three seasons. That’s something teams must dig in on in the coming months. If the Bengals can unlock that next-level talent, he’d give them inside-outside pass-rush ability.”

RELATED: Bengals’ Tee Higgins wants future solved ‘very soon’

If the Bengals can get past the lack of production on the stat sheet, they can grab themselves one of the best athletes at this position in this draft and create what would be a great duo in Hendrickson and Stewart.

But you can never have enough good pass rushers, especially in a division that has Lamar Jackson and a conference that has Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, to name a few. As such, we have the Bengals double-dipping at the position in this mock, going with JT Tuimoloau of Ohio State at No. 49.

“If the Bengals are able to keep free agent receiver Tee Higgins, they’d be able to go heavy on defense in the draft. Tuimoloau had 10.5 sacks in a great senior season and would be a player capable of starting on day one for a defense that finished 26th in defensive EPA.”

A rotation of Hendrickson, Stewart and Tuimoloau would be a great problem to have for new defensive coordinator Al Golden.

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Packers get Senior Bowl standout edge rusher in Lance Zierlein’s first mock draft

Lance Zierlein’s first mock draft of the 2025 cycle at NFL.com sent a Senior Bowl standout at edge rusher to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2025 draft.

Lance Zierlein’s first mock draft of the 2025 cycle at NFL.com sent a Senior Bowl standout and potential-filled prospect at edge rusher to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2025 draft.

Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart — a massive defensive end with huge upside — went to the Packers at No. 23 overall.

From Zierlein: “Stewart is a wild card in this draft because his size and athleticism are truly elite, but the production is disappointing (4.5 sacks in three seasons). Still, the ceiling is very high and he would be hard to pass up for the Packers.”

Teams like the Packers will have to weigh production against potential with Stewart, who had 39 total pressures in 2024 but finished his Texas A&M career with only 4.5 total sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He has all the tools, but can he finish as a disruptor?

At the Senior Bowl, Stewart measured 6-5 and over 280 pounds, with an incredible 83″ wingspan. And the 21-year-old displayed rare burst for a player of his size while competing against other top prospects in Mobile.

One personnel evaluator told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Stewart “stamped himself as the best player” at the Senior Bowl, while PFF picked Stewart as the standout edge rusher in Mobile.

It’s possible the lack of elite production could push a player like Stewart into the 20s and into range for a team like the Packers, who could use pass-rushing help entering the 2025 draft.

Like Lukas Van Ness in 2023, Stewart appears to be gaining steam as a potential Packers first-round pick at this point in the pre-draft process. He can cement himself as an obvious option at No. 23 overall if he aces the combine portion of the evaluation in Indianapolis later this month.

Senior Bowl Day 2 notebook: The trenches

Senior Bowl Day 2 notebook: Breaking down the line play from Wednesday’s practices in Mobile

The middle day of the Senior Bowl is always an educational one. The newness of the experience is typically over for the players, and they can focus a little more on just playing football.

The action from the American and National team practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium generally reflected that. There was better coordination and cleaner ball throughout the day of practice.

My attention today was primarily on the trenches. The offensive and defensive lines took center stage after spending the first day breaking down the perimeter positions. It was hard to ignore some of the skill position action during breaks, however…

Here’s some of what I took away from the Wednesday sessions of the Senior Bowl.

Positive standouts

Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State: Zabel showed outstanding balance, quick feet and adept technique playing both center and left guard. He was the best lineman on the field for the National team overall.

Wyatt Milum, OL, West Virginia: Primarily playing right guard, Milum used his base power and quick hands to score wins in team drills and also 1-on-1s in the pit. That he does so with a surly disposition was great to see from a college tackle moving inside.

Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA: No. 99 explodes off the snap for a taller pass rusher. He’s a bit long-levered, but Oladejo has a variety of moves and works them off a strong inside hand that sets everything up and jolts blockers back. More bend than expected, too.

Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M: His strip sack on Riley Leonard was almost a Statue of Liberty play. Guys at his size aren’t supposed to have his explosiveness or speed playing on the end. Dominant day in the team drills.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College: He didn’t win every rep, but when he won, he did so immediately. Very good hand usage and closing tack to the quarterback. Excellent backside run defense in team drills.

Caleb Rogers, IOL, Texas Tech: Rock solid pivot who plays with some snarl but also a very crafty two-hand punch. Was praised in position drills by the coaches for his hand placement and foot drive. When the position coach uses you as an example of what he wants to demonstrate to the others, that’s a definite positive.

Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall: Green had the most dynamic rep of 1-on-1s, bullying his blocker into the dirt. Proved he could win inside with a polished rip move, and his balance through contact is great for a lighter (he’s 253) edge.

Darius Alexander, DL, Toledo: Much like Ezeiruaku, Alexander didn’t win all the time but looked fantastic when he did. If he wins with his first step to the inside, the quarterback is in major peril. Plays bigger than he looks, too.

Negative standouts

Jonah Monheim, IOL, USC: he’s been consistently overpowered and technically outclassed in 1-on-1s. Monheim did do a little better in team drills at center.

Josh Conerly, OL, Oregon: He was on the business end of Mike Green’s highlight reel. It wasn’t the only time No. 55 was on the ground. Conerly is more of a shover than a sustainer as a pass protector and that got repeatedly exposed by the better rushers here.

Mac McWilliams, CB, UCF: made the notes twice for getting beaten over the top in 1-on-1s and he lacked the recovery speed to break up an underthrown ball from Riley Leonard on one of them.

 

A quarterback comparison

On the American roster, quarterbacks Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart often go in sequence in the reps. It proved to be a striking example of the differences between the two, notably in the 1-on-1 passing drill for RBs and TEs.

Dart consistently led his target to open space with his throws. To say he’s “throwing them open” is disingenuous, but Dart was very good at letting his guys catch short passes in full stride when and where they needed it to be there to quickly transition from receiver to runner. It wasn’t perfect, but it sure stood out positively in contrast to Milroe.

It’s not that Milroe is inaccurate on the same throws, mostly shorter outs or crosses or sticks. But his lack of precise ball placement relative to what Dart (and Tyler Shough and Dillon Gabriel on the National roster) really stood out. He makes his receivers work harder to secure the ball and turn it up the field. Whether it’s a foot too low or a count too late, Milroe definitely lacked the precision that NFL scouts desire on the shorter, YAC-oriented offensive concepts.

 

5 standouts from Day 2 of 2025 Senior Bowl practices

After several offensive linemen stood out Tuesday, it was a couple pass rushers’ turn to stand out Wednesday.

With Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier among the onlookers in Mobile, Ala. this week, the 2025 Senior Bowl practices rolled on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, several offensive lineman stood out on the practice field, which may have caught the eye of the linemen-needy Dolphins.

So who impressed most on Wednesday? Here are xxx players who made an impact on the practice field:

EDGE Mike Green (Marshall)

Green was highly productive with the Thundering Herd, racking up 22.5 tackles for loss and an FBS-leading 17 sacks. On Wednesday, he showed off the full bag of tricks, winning with his speed around the edge but also converting that burst into power.

Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who has been projected as a fringe first-round prospect, found out about Green’s abilities the hard way Wednesday.

WR Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)

The 6’4 wide receiver projects as an obvious red zone target due to his size, but Higgins has showed in Mobile that he offers more than just that. His quick feet have made him tough to cover off the line of scrimmage, and his vertical speed has created space on deep balls.

His precise routes underneath may be the most impressive work he’s done, though. Higgins looks like a receiver who can do a little bit of everything.

OL Jalen Travis (Iowa State)

Travis is another Cyclones alum who excelled in front of scouts, coaches, and decision makers Wednesday. The massive, 6’8 offensive tackle showed he was light enough on his feet to keep up with speed rushers and more than powerful enough to neutralize anyone he got his hands on.

CB Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State)

Thomas may be the first of the Senior Bowl cornerbacks to get drafted in April and he’s looked the part in Mobile. The 6’2 corner has faced tough tests with receivers Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Tez Johnson on his squad, but Thomas has been up to the task with impressive athleticism to stay step for step with receivers.

EDGE Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M)

Like Chop Robinson last year, Stewart has all the measureables as a prospect, but not much production. In three seasons with the Aggies, he recorded only 4.5 sacks.

While the Dolphins probably won’t want another first-round edge rusher, Stewart is giving every indication that he could follow in Robinson’s footsteps and produce in the NFL.

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Texas A&M EDGE has impressed scouts during Senior Bowl practices

Shemar Stewart is turning heads this week as the junior pass rusher continues to look like a first round draft pick

Texas A&M’s 2024 defensive line was supposed to be well-represented during this week’s senior bowl practices. Still, after defensive end Nic Scourton and defensive tackle Shemar Turner opted out of practices and this weekend’s game, former five-star edge Shemar Stewart is the last man standing.

Stewart came out of the elite 2022 recruiting class as the No. 1-ranked prospect out of Florida, choosing the Aggies over nearly every blue-blood program in the country.

While his three-year career in College Station wasn’t statistically prosperous, the versatile pass rusher is turning heads this week as scouts are enamored by his size, speed, and impressive athleticism.

During a pass rush drill, Stewart bull-rushed his way through a blocker, and in a brief interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Devin Jackson, Stewart is very confident in his skillset:

“I told No. 52 I was going to run through his face and then I ran through his face.”

Stewart entered this week’s event with elite measurement, standing at 6-5 281 pounds with 9-inch hands, 34-inch arms, and an elite 6’11 1/2 wing span.

During his Texas A&M career, Stewart recorded 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in three seasons.

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Texas A&M senior DL will not participate in the Senior Bowl

Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner’s previous injury from the 2024 season has led to the senior opting out of of this weekend’s Senior Bowl

Texas A&M’s 2024 defensive line included three starters who will likely be selected in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. The line was led by former five-star prospect Shemar Stewart, who has been mocked by several teams in the bottom half of the first round.

This week, all three players, including defensive linemen Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner, were set to participate in the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl, but as of Tuesday, only Shemar Stewart is set to play in Saturday’s game, as Scourton and Turner have opted out.

While Scourton is preparing for the combine, it has been reported that Shemar Turner is dealing with the lingering effects of a stress fracture he sustained during the early parts of fall camp. The senior played with injury throughout the year.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, doctors advised Turner not to put any added pressure on his lege for 3-4 weeks to let the bone heal, leading to his opt-out from the event.

Shemar Turner finished his four-year Texas A&M career with 115 tackles, 10 sacks, and three forced fumbles.

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2025 Senior Bowl: Five prospects I’m most excited about watching

2025 Senior Bowl: Five prospects I’m most excited about watching this week in Mobile

One of the best weeks of the year is finally here with the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama! For me, this is my 7th season covering the event and it’s always such a surreal experience. From the talent on the field to bumping elbows with key personnel members of each NFL team, it’s always humbling.

As we move onto draft season, the Senior Bowl is the first step for the off-season. The players at this event get their first crack at trying to impress NFL decision makers. If there’s any struggles or concerns with a specific player, teams will adjust their draft boards accordingly. The same goes for the players that make a strong impression.

Now that my draft board is starting to take shape, here’s five prospects that I’m most excited about here in Mobile for the 2025 Senior Bowl!

Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin Jr 

Not enough people are talking about Fannin as one of the better prospects in this draft or even at his position. Now, I’m not discrediting Colston Loveland from Michigan or Tyler Warren from Penn State but Fannin should be in the same category as both of them for the top tight end in this draft.

As for the talent at the Senior Bowl, Fannin is near the top for best players here. His production is off the charts with 117 receptions for over 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns. In addition to that, he’s only got a 2.2% drop rate and was asked to do a variety of things in the Falcons offense such as blocking, catching, passing and he even has 33 carries for five touchdowns in his career.

Teams will love his ability to threaten defenses vertically. Going up the seam, getting open and running after the catch is a great perk to his game. When running routes, he consistently dips his shoulders to avoid contact from defenders and it helps keep him clean as he looks to change direction in and out of his breaks. During the draft, he’ll only be 20 years old, so teams should be jumping at the chance to mold him into the next great tight end. Look for him to have a strong week in Mobile.

Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart

The Aggies have three defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, and two of them have the first name Shemar. I’ll talk about one here and the other in a separate article. For starters, we’ve got to talk about Shemar Stewart. He’s listed at 6’6″ and 285 pounds and he screams first round talent.

Stewart has a nice blend of speed and power to his game but there’s an arsenal of moves that he uses and it’s very impressive. For example, you’ll find him take a post step and create separation with his inside arm but while maintaining that separation, he can counter inside or outside on the opposition.

 

The lack of production will be concerning — only 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three seasons. However, teams will be chomping at the bit to try and develop his rare physical traits into something that is elite. Stewart will be labeled as one of the better prospects in Mobile, and he’s got a chance to solidify his status as a first-round pick.

USC RB Woody Marks 

There’s a lot of love for running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft and you can add USC running back Woody Marks to that list. Potentially, he’s one of the most underrated players in Mobile and in the entire draft. Highly productive during his 57 games played and five year collegiate career, we saw Marks really take off for USC this season.

After four seasons at Mississippi State, Marks transferred to the Trojans and saw his first season with over 1000 rushing yards. Most importantly, his production as a pass catcher didn’t decline. This season, he had 47 receptions for 321 yards.

 

Overall, Marks will be primarily viewed as a pass catcher. After all, he’s recorded 261 receptions for over 1500 yards in his career. But don’t let that fool you, he’s got good vision and burst to make defenders regret poor angles when he attempting to tackle him. In high school, he was on the track and field team and his PR for the 100-meter dash was 11.16 seconds as a junior. On his scouting report, I wrote down “open field nightmare” so we’ll see if he proves me right this week at the Senior Bowl.

Missouri OT Armand Membou

Just off studying some of the tape of each offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl, it appears that Armand Membou from Missouri is the best one in Mobile. It felt like he may go “under the radar” some with the love for other offensive tackles in this class, but that’s starting to change quickly. Through some of the limited measurements recorded so far for players at the Senior Bowl, Membou checked in at 6036, 332 and 3400 arms.

 

Membou was a 13-game starter at right tackle for Missouri this season. He’s got a thick frame with a strong lower half. He’s consistently square with his base in the run and also the pass game. For a player of his size, he moves well laterally when zone blocking. That lateral movement helps him reach block effectively but it also helps him follow or stay attached to a guard with his drag hand when blocking in zone.

There were times on tape that his foot speed would get tested against line stunts and blitzes. Additionally, his hand placement can hit wide in pass protection. Seeing how those aspects of his game improve throughout the week will be important.

Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

During the draft process last year, I loved what I saw from Renardo Green at Florida State. Compared to the consensus, Green ranked relatively high for me and it’s trending in that same direction for his college teammate, Azareye’h Thomas.

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The Florida State corner is listed at 6’2″ and 198 pounds and really looks the part on the perimeter. He’s at his best when playing press-man and he ONLY gave up 94 total yards this season.

Playing with tremendous body control and fluidity, Thomas just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. His arm length is a bonus for how he can break up passes but jamming and redirecting receivers is what he does best. Teams searching for a boundary corner will be intrigued with Thomas’ skill set, and if all goes right, they should go from being intrigued to in love after the Senior Bowl.

Packers assistant coach will get up close look at potential first-round targets during Senior Bowl

Packers assistant Wendel Davis will get an up close look at some top prospects while coaching at the Senior Bowl.

Green Bay Packers defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis will lead the linebackers and edge rushers for the American Team during Senior Bowl practices throughout the week. It’s a group that includes a pair of players who could be targets for the Packers in the first round of the 2025 draft.

Let’s take a look at five players from this group that could be targets for Brian Gutekunst:

Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M

The Purdue transfer recorded 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and 36 pressures during his lone season at College Station. Scourton is a powerful edge rusher, who may have the best spin move in this draft class. If Scourton is on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 23rd overall pick, it would not be shocking to hear his name get called.

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Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M

The Texas A&M defensive lineman has a unique blend of power and speed. He’s listed at 6-6, 290 pounds and moves closer to a player built like Clay Matthews. Stewart would bring instance juice to Green Bay’s pass rush while providing a powerful presence against the run. If he’s still on the board when Green Bay is on the clock, it would not be surprising to see Gutekunst add Stewart to the defensive line mix.

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Barryn Sorrell, Edge, Texas

A member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list, Sorrell is a well-put-together edge rusher. As a run defender, he snatches and tosses and sets a hard edge. The Texas edge rusher finished this past season with 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and 49 pressures.

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Shemar James, LB, Florida

James shows good range in pass coverage. He plays with the lateral athleticism to match up with tight ends in coverage. The Florida Gator linebacker shows good burst in pursuit.

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Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss

The Florida transfer has a quick first step and is a twitched-up edge rusher. He’d bring instant juice to Green Bay’s pass rush. He finished his lone season as a Rebel with 14.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and 55 pressures. He’s not a dominant force against the run, but he has the functional strength to hold up on the edge.

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Packers take freak SEC edge rusher in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network gave the Packers an edge rusher in his mock draft: Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart.

NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released a first-round mock draft on Saturday. The Green Bay Packers own the 23rd overall pick in 2025, and with the pick, Jeremiah had the Packers selecting Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart.

“The Packers love front-seven players from the SEC with outstanding traits. Stewart fits the mold,” Jeremiah wrote.

Jeremiah’s pick makes sense for multiple reasons. As Jeremiah pointed out, Green Bay has an affliction for taking players out of the SEC. Since Brian Gutekunst took over as the GM in 2018, he has drafted 20 players out of the SEC, encompassing 28 percent of his total selections.

One more couldn’t hurt, right?

Stewart would also help bolster a floundering Packers’ pass rush. Despite finishing tied for 8th with 45 sacks as a team in 2024, Green Bay struggled to get home at a consistent enough rate throughout the season, something Gutekunst acknowledged would need to improve during his season-ending press conference.

“There’s times we kind of broke out, and then there’s times we’d have these lulls where we just we just we weren’t probably playing as well as we would like,” he said.

Stewart could help in that area. At 6-6 and 285 pounds, he has the size and athleticism Green Bay covets in its edge rushers. Stewart will be one of the most physically gifted players in this year’s draft class, checking another one of Green Bay’s boxes.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest drawback against Stewart has been his overall production. In three college seasons, he managed just 4.5 sacks in total.

As a prospect, Stewart compares favorably to 2019 first-rounder Rashan Gary, who had only 10.5 sacks during his collegiate career but showcased elite traits. Gary has developed into the Packers’ top pass rusher, leading the way with 32 sacks over the last four seasons. Gary finished this past year with 7.5 sacks and was much improved in defending the run, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

However, there wasn’t much production behind Gary, which is why adding an edge rusher in the first makes sense for Green Bay.

Fans may not be thrilled about another developmental project, but the future payoff could be huge. It would be difficult to pass on Stewart’s rare blend of physical tools and extreme upside if he is still available when the Packers are picking in April. Plus, you can never go wrong strengthening the trenches.

“With pass rushers, you can never have enough,” said Gutekunst.

Texas A&M DE predicted to land with the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL Draft

Texas A&M junior defensive lineman Shemar Stewart could join Edgerrin Cooper in Green Bay

The 2025 NFL Draft is less than three months away. For Texas A&M, three 2024 defensive line starters, including defensive end Shemar Stewart, are receiving plenty of pre-combine hype, especially with the junior participating in the annual Reeses Senior Bowl next Saturday.

Stewart, the No. 1-ranked prospect out of Florida in the Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class, never produced the numbers many of us expected. Still, from a scout’s perspective, Stewart possesses elite tools ranging from size, athleticism, and versatility.

However, Stewart did finish the 2024 season on a high note with 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks, earning an impressive 79 defensive grade, 88.2 run defense grade, and 67.2 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

PFF’s numbers show a player constantly around the ball with the defensive instincts to start in the NFL. NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has predicted that the Green Bay Packers will select Shemar Stewart with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 Draft.

“The Packers love front-seven players from the SEC with outstanding traits. Stewart fits the mold.”

If this selection comes to fruition, Stewart will join former Texas A&M standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in one of the more talent-rich defenses in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty