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Former Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart was one of the best high school football prospects in the country in the class of 2022. The former five-star was big, fast, strong and explosive. He’s everything you could ever dream of as a defensive line coach.
Fast forward a few years and Stewart never really reached his potential with the Aggies. He recorded just 4.5 sacks across 37 games played and failed to make a single All-SEC team. But his insane traits still have him as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. And after his appearance at the NFL Combine on Thursday, some are even comparing him to Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 27, 2025
Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, also attended Texas A&M. He was just a tick shorter than Stewart and a five pounds heavier. But Stewart has a longer wingspan, a vertical jump that was just one inch shorter and a three-inch better broad jump.
There is, however, one very notable difference. In three seasons as Texas A&M, Garrett lived in the backfield. The Browns star recorded 32.5 sacks for the Aggies. Stewart, meanwhile, got to the quarterback just 4.5 times in 37 games played at Texas A&M.
Maybe Stewart becomes a superstar in the NFL. He certainly has all the physical traits. But up until this point, he’s not shown the ability to translate those physical tools into actually effective play on the football, which is extremely important given the conversation.
There are plenty of success stories of toolsy players growing into great NFL players. But recent history suggests that defensive ends with as little actual production as Stewart are a huge gamble in the early first round. Ultimately, time will tell both where he gets drafted and if it works out. But some team is likely to take Stewart far higher than they would otherwise simply because of his athletic profile.