Patriots draft profile: Josaiah Stewart is a pass rush demon

The Michigan edge projects as a Day 2 selection in the NFL Draft.

The New England Patriots defense had all sorts of issues in 2024, with a lack of consistent pass rush among the most concerning. And while adding Milton Williams, Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson should help — as should Christian Barmore returning to his pre-blood clots self — there is still room for improvement.

Frankly, the Patriots still lack some developmental talent that can reliably put pressure on opposing quarterbacks from the edge. That is the forte of Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart.

Hard facts

Name: Josaiah Stewart

Position: Defensive edge

School: Michigan

Opening day age: 22 (4/26/2003)

Measurements: 6’1”, 249 lbs, 79” wingspan, 31 7/8” arm length, 9 1/2” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Coastal Carolina (2021-22), Michigan (2023-24)

Career statistics: 50 games (26 starts) | 1,835 defensive snaps, 137 special teams snaps | 150 tackles, 17 missed tackles (10.2%), 37 TFLs, 6 forced fumbles | 137 quarterback pressures (30 sacks, 27 hits, 90 hurries) | 6 special teams tackles

Accolades: Second-team All-Big Ten (2024), Second-team All-Sun Belt (2022), First-team All-Sun Belt (2021), Freshman All-American (2021)

Attending Everett High School as a tight end and defensive end, Stewart was one of the top prospects in Massachusetts entering college. A consensus three-star recruit, he originally committed to Boston College but eventually decommitted and joined Coastal Carolina. In two years with the Chanticleers, he appeared in 24 games with 17 starts, registered 16 sacks, and was named All-Sun Belt twice.

In December of his sophomore season, however, he entered the transfer portal and moved to Michigan. Stewart did not miss a beat, registering 5.5 sacks en route to helping the Wolverines win the National Championship in his first year. In 2024, he added 8.5 sacks to his tally and was voted second-team All-Big Ten.

Stewart participated in the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine in preparation of the draft. He had a meeting with the Patriots in Mobile.

Draft profile

Expected round: 3 | Consensus big board: No. 73 | Patriots meeting: Senior Bowl

Strengths: Stewart was arguably the most disruptive pass rusher in college football in 2024, registering a win rate of 42.4 percent on true dropback plays — by far the highest number in this year’s draft class and the highest for all starters at the FBS level in the last decade. How did he achieve that? For starters, he is one tough SOB who will go full throttle on every snap. His tenacity alone makes him a handful for opposing blockers to handle, particularly on long drives or late in games.

He also uses his natural leverage well and low center of gravity to threaten blockers’ balance and ability to get their hands on him. He has a good get-off and adequate bend but is more than just a pure speed rusher around the edge; Stewart successfully converts his speed into power and knows how to put unalert opponents on skates. He also has some counters in his arsenal and is a capable run defender who can set a hard edge, particularly when allowed to use his explosiveness to crash down from a wide alignment.

A good locker room guy and leader on as well as off the field, he was voted a captain in 2024. By all accounts, both his teammates and coaches think very highly of him and his character.

Weaknesses: Stewart certainly is not every team’s flavor on the edge, primarily due to his size. Among edge defenders in the Mockdraftable data base going back to 1999, he ranks in the bottom third percentile in all of his Combine measurements: he offers 2-percentile height, 5-percentile arm length, 13-percentile weight, 25-percentile hand size and 30-percentile wingspan. His size was not a major issue in the Big Ten, but NFL-caliber offensive tackles playing with more refined technique should be better suited to neutralize him.

In general, he already was a bit on and off as a pass rusher in college. Sure, his win rate is outstanding but he also had his fair share of snaps where he was a true non-factor when it came to pushing the pocket. His block deconstruction is a work in progress, and he occasionally found himself taken out of run plays by pull blockers or against wide zone; he was better against static opponents rather than moving ones.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Even though he has some solid run defense reps on his résumé, Stewart’s size will likely limit him to a more specialized role early on in his career. In New England, he might fill the Joshua Uche role as a designated pass rusher on late downs — subbing in for early-down edge Anfernee Jennings — while he continues to acclimate.

What is his growth potential? Fairly or not, it seems that there will always be a cap on Stewart’s potential simply due to his build. That being said, his performance at Michigan was encouraging and showed a player capable of becoming a three-down defender. But even if that does not happen, his skills in the passing game could make him a valuable rotational player in the NFL.

Does he have positional versatility? Stewart is an edge through and through, and can play out of a two- and a three-point stance. He also offers a bit of experience dropping back into coverage and playing on special teams. Overall, though, his versatility is somewhat limited.

Why the Patriots? As noted above, rushing the passer was a major issue for the Patriots defense in 2024. Adding Stewart to the mix alongside the team’s free agency investments should pay immediate dividends and allow the unit to produce pressure at a more consistent rate.

Why not the Patriots? It all comes back to Stewart’s lack of size and bulk. If the Patriots are not comfortable inserting an undersized edge into the lineup, even as a part-time player early on, he will not find his way to New England.

One-sentence verdict: Stewart is a pass rush demon, who should be able to find a role in the NFL despite his limitations.

What do you think about Josaiah Stewart as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.