NFL Draft
11/24/24
6 min read
Shemar Stewart 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Texas A&M Aggies DL
Height: 6060 (unofficial)
Weight: 290 (unofficial)
Year: Junior
Pro Comparison: Keion White
Scouting Overview
Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart is an athletic freak who fits the mold of a “prototype” end for the NFL. He’s got a tremendous combination of length, power, first-step explosive power, and short-area agility.
Stewart is an impactful run defender who plays on the plus side of the line of scrimmage and creates uneven levels along the front, allowing him to peel off blocks and make tackles on the ball carrier. His pass rush prowess is still developing, but Stewart has illustrated the ability to counter tackles in a number of ways.
If he can refine his pass rush plan and lean more into the power elements of his game, he could be a Pro Bowl-caliber talent by the end of his rookie contract.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Possesses elite length and hand power to create knockback at the point of attack
- Highly proficient in run defense and block construction skills to make plays in the run game
- High ceiling as a developmental pass rusher, but appears to be still scratching the surface of his potential after just turning 21 years old in November 2024
Negatives
- Consistency rushing the passer can be hit or miss; he has an array of counters, but using the right ones at the right time indicates growth needed in his rush plan
- Leverage and pad-level limitations will exist without great discipline thanks to his long frame
- Has left production on the field by coming into tackle challenges out of control
Background
Stewart hails from South Florida; he was born in Miami and raised in Miramar. He played his high school football for Monsignor Pace HS in Miami Gardens, where he quickly became a prized football recruit in one of the nation’s hotbeds for talent.
He was rated as a 5-star recruit (247 Sports) and showcased elite physical abilities and traits — leading to a top-10 overall ranking in the recruiting class of 2022. Stewart garnered interest from SEC powerhouses, the University of Miami, and more before ultimately committing to Texas A&M.
Stewart played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2022, starting half of them. In 2023, he was named the team’s most improved defensive player at the end-of-season banquet and stepped into a starting role for the Aggies in 2024.
Tale Of The Tape
Shemar Stewart has all the makings of a monster on the edge. He’s already improved by leaps and bounds in certain phases of the game, and there’s little reason to believe he can’t fill out the remaining holes in his on-field product based on his physical gifts.
You simply cannot coach the blend of length, explosiveness, power, and fluidity. Finding it all in one place, like with Stewart, is usually only reserved for one or two guys in a draft class.
It is easy to love the way he flashes his length and separation skills at the point of attack. He’s got heavy hands that create jolt and knockback on the shoulder pads of opposing blockers, and a well-placed inside hand can stunt all momentum from an opposing lineman at the point of attack. When he can leverage his hips and press to extend, he’s almost impossible to gain control of unless you’re willing to commit a second blocker to his gap to box him in. Stewart showcases a good feel for the angles of blocks and will fight through pressure to challenge ball carriers while in high-traffic areas.
Stewart does possess the first-step explosiveness necessary to win as a crash defender collapsing across the face of a blocker; he has had success chasing down run plays as a backside defender when winning across the face of a tight end.
As the playside player, teams looking to wham, trap, or kick him can be tested with angles. He has successfully worked to the point of attack and nearly taken the ball off the mesh point on more than one occasion in these instances. Stewart does appear to win here in spite of some first-step inefficiencies. He appears to have room to improve his preload and weight distribution in his stance to further spring out of the blocks and avoid false steps.
His explosiveness is much more impactful in linear releases and shallow angles. Still, he does have enough short-area agility and fluidity to turn and corner much better than you would expect for a player of this stature. Flexibility is not a hallmark trait of Stewart’s game, however.
His high-cut frame requires discipline on his base to play with bent hinges and sit down on his hips. He can be guilty of playing high once engaged in tackles to peek for the ball carrier, giving up some leverage, or losing his control of the point.
As a pass rusher, Stewart has illustrated the ability to execute a number of pass-rush counters. He's got a long arm and speed-to-power ability to collapse tackles and compress the pocket. He put LSU OT Will Campbell on skates on more than one occasion during the team’s matchup this season.
Stewart has good acceleration and lean through his twist games as well. He leans well through the A-gap while taking a tight angle to ensure OL exchanges aren’t able to recover from the pick. Stewart has illustrated a cross-chop and some additional counters as well, but the timing and efficiency of these counters are still somewhat irregular. Getting a better sense of when to call upon which counters can help him shed tackles with more consistency and, just as importantly, quicker.
Stewart has been close to a lot of extra production but has been a half-step off the pace of the release of a pass or the shuffle of a quarterback in the pocket.
Even some of his opportunities to come clean have come up empty due to a lack of balance and control at the tackle point. He’s got a hefty career missed tackle rate, and if he’s going to be able to fulfill his potential, he will need to be more controlled coming through his open-area tackle challenges.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Shemar Stewart projects as a developmental impact starter at the NFL level. With his current prowess as a run defender and gap control player, he affords a team an immediate role with a seemingly immeasurable ceiling if he grows as a pass rusher.
Because he can defend the run, he should be considered a viable Day 1 starter, particularly as a 5-tech end who plays overtop of tackles and utilizes his length to stack the point of attack.
Grade: 82.50/100.00, Late First Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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