Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals need help on the edge and Shemar Stewart could be the best.
Happy Wednesday one and all.
The Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL are heading towards the 2025 NFL Draft and in doing that we are building our own big board for the Cardinals.
Yesterday we looked at the Consensus Big Board and their top two prospects that could be available for the Arizona Cardinals.
Starting with Will Johnson and Jalon Walker.
Today, we take a look at the biggest question mark of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Shemar Stewart, the 6-5 267lbs freak of nature.
Stewart is carved from granite, possessing a rare blend of traits, explosiveness and untapped upside. He’s long and sudden off the snap but hasn’t learned to weaponize his hands to control the point of attack and bypass protection with go-to moves. His bull-rush compresses the pocket off the edge, and he’s too athletic for guards when reduced inside. He can be very disruptive in both phases but requires additional training to start converting his opportunities into finishes. The lack of production relative to the traits is a concern; still, players who move like him are highly coveted. While the boom-or-bust label might be in play, it feels like a matter of time before it all starts to click at a high level.
What is so interesting about Stewart is he played in a dumb defensive system, and I know that because a very good player who we will look at later, Nic Scourton who recorded 10 sacks as a 20-year old sophomore for Purdue, before transferring to A&M and only being able to lock down five sacks with a defensive line that is going to have three people drafted.
So, we are projecting Stewart, but also understanding that the system was not ideal for him, or anyone.
But the player, the testing, the tools are undeniable.
