The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2025 NFL Draft with major needs on defense. While the offense is loaded with weapons (expensive ones), the defense was ranked 25th in the NFL in 2024. And that’s with defensive end Trey Hendrickson and his league-leading 17.5 sacks.
Knowing that they needed help on defense and also knowing that Hendrickson is not likely to be on the 2025 roster, the Bengals selected Shemar Stewart, edge rusher from Texas A&M.
What the experts are saying
Like every year, the draft analysis and expert opinions started flying Thursday night shortly after picks were made. And USA Today experts Ayrton Ostly and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz were quick with their assessments and grades.
Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY Sports: B-
It’s undeniable the Bengals need help off the edge and they take one of the most elite athletes seen at the position in years. Stewart is all about traits with great size, length, speed and explosiveness. But Stewart tallied just 4.5 career sacks in college and there were more proven options at edge rusher on the board at this pick. He is a lot of projection at this point with a high ceiling but a low floor.Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY Sports: B
As the Trey Hendrickson drama lingers, Cincinnati affords itself some flexibility on the edge for both the short and long term. Regardless of whether the Bengals move the NFL’s reigning sack king, the defense needed to create more pressure. Stewart can certainly do that, and the 6-5, 267-pounder certainly fits the bill of what the organization looks for at defensive end with his imposing build and athleticism. But can he actually develop a finishing touch? Usage issues were partially responsible for Stewart’s shortage of production, but he also has to figure out a way to play with more control when he gets a quarterback or ball carrier in his sights.
What they said about Stewart heading into the draft
As the draft approached, there were many opinions of Stewart as a prospect. College Football Network said that thoughts on the Texas A&M prospect were all over the place:
An upside gamble in every sense of the word, Shemar Stewart has become one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. At 6’5″, 267 pounds, with over 34″ arms, he tested as the most athletic EDGE prospect ever, with a 4.59 40-yard dash, a 40″ vertical, and a 10’11” broad jump.
On the flip side, he never eclipsed 1.5 sacks in a single season at the collegiate level, and has startlingly low production rates as both a pass-rusher and run-stopper. The tape tells a story you might expect: Stewart has rare explosiveness, twitch, and energy for his size, and can channel his traits into awesome power, but he’s also very inconsistent and uncontrolled right now.
At the very least, he can play from different alignments and play contain, and at his max potential, his ceiling is as high as can be — but it also may take him at least a couple years to near that ceiling.
While draft grades that are issued just hours after picks are made are highly speculative and unreasonable, the Bengals can at least say they had a need and they addressed it. As we all sit here right this second, that’s a plus. As to how Stewart eventually pans out, well, we’ll all find out together.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bengals Draft Upside Edge Rusher with First-Round Pick appeared first on Heavy Sports.