Shemar Stewart is officially a member of an elite club, becoming the first Aggie defender to be selected in the first round since Myles Garrett went first overall to the Browns back in 2017. Stewart, however, is headed to Garrett's in-state rival team, as it was the Cincinnati Bengals who selected Shemar up at 17th.
Stewart was able to make his way up to a first-round selection despite not putting up a lot of numbers in college. His impact when you turn on the tape was obvious— he was consistently getting pressure on opponents, pushing opposing blockers into the backfield, and more— but his stat sheet doesn't look all that impressive.
One guy who is apparently unimpressed with Shemar Stewart, at least in one way, is ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit. When the Bengals went public with their choice of Stewart, Herbstreit didn't seem entirely enthused about their decision.
Kirk Herbstreit downplays Bengals' Shemar Stewart choice after 17th overall pick
Herbstreit certainly was on board with Stewart's measurables, mentioning on the College Gameday-themed draft broadcast airing on ABC that whenever he broadcast an A&M game over the past few years that Shemar was one of the most eye-catching players in pregame. But he didn't seem to keep that same energy when talking about Shemar's play on the field.
Herbstreit mentioned that he would see Shemar flash every once in a while, but then that he would be a no-show "for three quarters." "He disappears," was the most notable comment that Herbstreit made about Shemar.
It's true that Shemar didn't show out on the stat sheet, as I mentioned. But I am not sure you can look at Stewart's college tape and call him a guy who's inconsistent like that. To my eye, his effort and impact are pretty steady; it's just the actual numbers that ended up evading him.
Herbstreit may not be a believer in Stewart, but many in Aggieland are. I'm sure that most Cincinnati fans will come around to that point of view as well sooner rather than later.