Where you land matters. It is one of the biggest reasons why Texas A&M Aggies edge rusher Shemar Stewart may fall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has been tabbed as a high-risk, high-reward type of prospect. He has the physical traits to become the next Myles Garrett or Von Miller out of College Station, but where was that production in the SEC?
Going No. 32 overall to the Eagles is where NFL insider Benjamin Allbright has Stewart falling in his NFL mock draft. Admittedly, I may not be the highest on Stewart coming out, mostly because he was not a force to be reckoned with in the league I cover the most closely in college football. That being said, I think he could be infinitely better than what I thought the Eagles were getting in Derek Barnett.
So how does Stewart fall to Philly? Who all screwed up? Everyone; that is the worst part. The rich get richer out of other teams' fear, incompetence or some unfortunate combination of the two. My Atlanta Falcons may pass on him at No. 15 for both reasons. They are clueless when it comes to the pass rush. The real ones to watch here are the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders.
Texas A&M is Detroit head coach Dan Campbell's alma mater and Washington plays in the NFC East.
How Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart lands with the Philadelphia Eagles
To be totally transparent, I feel the Falcons are about the earliest spot where Stewart could be coming off the board. They have done their homework on him, but even then, that still may not be enough. Marshall edge rusher Mike Green seems to be the favorite to go to the Dirty Birds. The Falcons might also be a candidate to trade back from No. 15 to recoup a few more draft picks.
Regardless of whether the Denver Broncos do decide to trade up from No. 20 or not with a team like the Falcons, I get the sense that every NFC team of note who passes on Stewart from then on could be making a huge mistake. I am talking about teams like the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, as well as teams I already mentioned like Detroit and Washington. They would all be slighting him.
The timing may not be right for Green Bay or Minnesota to act on drafting Stewart in the early 20s, but Detroit and Washington passing on his potential upside this late into the first round would be malpractice. As stated before, Stewart and Campbell share an alma mater and the Lions need another edge rusher. Washington may not need one, but what if the Eagles were to land him instead?
What I am getting at is all of these teams passing on Stewart could add fuel to his fire. He would be going to the best team in the NFL with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder. It is one of the things that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman does best.: He not only drafts players to fit into a precise and well-defined role, but he gets guys with a bit of grit to them, who have something to prove.
If Stewart becomes a regular double-digit sack guy with the Eagles, we all have ourselves to blame.