Texas A&M has had a reputation of some extremely strong defensive line recruiting classes over the past few years. One of the top recruits to come to College Station in that time was Shemar Stewart, in the class of 2022, and now he's bound for the NFL.
Stewart was a day-one starter for the Aggies as a freshman, and even though he hasn't amassed the stats that some of his mock draft peers have, he's still being considered as a veritable first-round lock for tomorrow's draft. It's not hard to see why: Stewart is the definition of an athletic freak despite his dearth of production relative to some other players.
We've seen prospect after prospect with that sort of profile turn out well for the team that drafts them in the NFL— and there is one notable team that can ill afford to miss out on Stewart. The Dallas Cowboys need someone to replace DeMarcus Lawrence, and Stewart is just the guy to do that.
Dallas Cowboys need to pick up former Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart in first round
The Cowboys are in a bit of a no-man's-land at pick 12. Tetairoa McMillan is likely to be gone by the time they're on the clock, as is Ashton Jeanty. Matthew Golden is a hot name recently, but unlike defensive line, a lack of production at receiver is normally a big worry.
All of these projections make it likely that the Cowboys could consider trading back. With Stewart's stock having cooled off a bit from the time that he was wowing scouts at the NFL combine, this could be a golden opportunity for America's Team to pick up a guy who will be a stalwart up front for years to come.
Micah Parsons is elite, no doubt about it. But the Cowboys need to pair someone with that transcendent pass rush talent on the other side, and Stewart cuts the perfect profile to line up opposite no. 11 in the silver and blue.
His pass rush kit is still raw, but his play against the run is nothing short of spectacular. As those tools come along for him to blossom into a high-level sack artist, he could set the edge with ferocity up in Jerryworld for several years.
If the Cowboys miss this opportunity, it could burn them. Think about what Stewart could do on a team like the Commanders, who have had an elite defensive line for some time now— much less the world champion Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom the Cowboys play twice a year.
Outside of the division, conference contenders like the 49ers and Lions could also have an eye on Stewart. Though the Cowboys don't play these squads every year, you can bet that Stewart will feature prominently on scouting reports if Dallas comes up against these teams in playoff scenarios.
Don't overthink this one: Stewart is a great fit in Dallas. If the Cowboys decide to look elsewhere, it very well could be to their own massive detriment.