Patriots draft profile: Shemar Stewart is a true boom-or-bust prospect

Scouting report for the Texas A&M edge rusher, who projects as a first-round selection in this year’s draft.

The New England Patriots have shown considerable interest in the defensive edge class ahead of this year’s draft, for good reason: the position group is a work in progress for them, and could benefit from some high-upside talent being added. It is therefore no surprise, the team has been linked to more than a dozen prospects, including five who were invited for 30 visits.

Among them was Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, a projected first-round pick and one of the most polarizing players available in the draft.

Hard facts

Name: Shemar Stewart

Position: Defensive edge

School: Texas A&M

Opening day age: 21 (11/12/2003)

Measurements: 6’5”, 267 lbs, 84 3/4” wingspan, 34 1/8” arm length, 9 5/8” hand size, 4.59s 40-yard dash, 40” vertical jump, 10’11” broad jump, 10.0 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Texas A&M (2022-24)

Career statistics: 37 games (19 starts) | 1,255 defensive snaps, 77 special teams snaps | 65 tackles, 18 missed tackles (21.7%), 11.0 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries (1 TD) | 79 quarterback pressures (4.5 sacks, 13 hits, 61 hurries)

Accolades: Third-team All-SEC (2024), Freshman All-SEC (2022))

An all-state defensive end at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, FL, Stewart was a five-star recruit and No. 1 in the state of Florida heading toward the college level. He drew interest from virtually every major football program in the country before eventually committing to Texas A&M.

In three seasons as an Aggie, Stewart saw action in 37 games with 19 starts. Despite only registering 1.5 sacks every year in College Station, he was an impact player throughout his college career — including scoring a 43-yard fumble return touchdown. Coming off a third-team All-SEC season in 2024, he decided to forgo his senior campaign to enter the NFL Draft.

Stewart was invited to the Scouting Combine, where he was a standout performer. He also met with the Patriots for a pre-draft visit.

Draft profile

Expected round: 1 | Consensus big board: No. 19 | Patriots meeting: 30 visit

Strengths: Stewart is a football cyborg who offers a rare mix of size and skill. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds with a massive 84 3/4-inch wingspan, he has rare speed and explosiveness from the edge. Regardless of where he lines up, his lateral movement ability and agility are next level for a player of his build, allowing him to be a major threat on twists and stunts and to put pressure on offensive tackles both wide and to the inside shoulder. His length, meanwhile, allows him to initiate contact and dictate 1-on-1 matchups from the jump.

Despite some modest production in college, Stewart has the skill to be an instant difference maker as a pass rusher. His build and explosion play a role in that, but so does his ability to translate his speed into sheer power, a willingness to mix up his pass rush moves, as well as a motor that seemingly never runs cold. As a run defender, meanwhile, he has shown that he can set the edge and disengage from blocking attempts while also having the range to impact plays from the backside.

Weaknesses: Stewart has all the tools in the world, but his college production did not look the part. An “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”-type of player, he had major finishing issues as both a pass rusher and a tackler. Part of it is his approach to the assignment: he remains a work in progress as far as applying his technique, getting imprecise with his hands and relying too much on his power to win. He needs to develop a proper plan, work on his counters, and improve his bend when rushing wide.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Stewart has the talent to be a Day 1 starter on the defensive edge, but he would likely be part of a rotation early on in his Patriots career. However, the more he gets his feet wet and refines his technique, the more likely he will be to rise to the top of the depth chart and turn into a true three-down defender with value against both the pass and the run.

What is his growth potential? In one word: immense. Stewart has all the tools you would want from a three-down edge in today’s NFL, but he needs some time and proper coaching to reach his full potential. If he can, all the concerns about his college production and whatnot will seem like a distant and completely irrelevant memory; he has All-Pro potential.

Does he have positional versatility? Stewart played various techniques during his time at Texas A&M, aligning anywhere from the 3-technique to the 7-technique. In general, his athleticism will allow him to a be positionally-flexible and scheme-independent player. While not a “one size fits all” kind of defender, the right coaching should be able to maximize his skills and turn him into a matchup weapon along the defensive line.

Why the Patriots? The Patriots made some moves along their defensive edge this offseason, signing the aforementioned Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson to complement Anfernee Jennings. Adding an athletic freak such as Stewart to the mix would give them an intriguing cast of characters capable of completely changing the way the team operates in its front seven. The thought of pairing Stewart with the likes of Landry but particular the interior — Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Keion White — is enticing.

Why not the Patriots? Stewart is your classic boom-or-bust prospect. If he puts all the parts together, he will be an impact player against both the pass and the run, and a defensive cornerstone for years to come. Him reaching that level is anything but a given, though, and he is far from a safe projection based on not just his college production but game tape as well.

One-sentence verdict: The Patriots taking Stewart at No. 4 would be quite a surprise, but if they either trade down or he starts slipping into the mid-to-late 20s he might just become a high-upside target worth pursuing.

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