The Dallas Cowboys need help along the defensive line.
And according to one analyst, there might be one prospect in next month’s NFL Draft who fits those needs to a tee – Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Shemar Stewart.
During the “PFF College Football Show,” Analyst Dalton Wasserman broke down how Texas A&M Stewart not only fills a need for Dallas but is also an excellent fit in the scheme of new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
“One of the things that sticks out to me, we have to remember it’s not Mike Zimmer now running this defense, it’s Matt Eberflus. Matt Eberflus is a coach who goes four-down linemen more than almost anybody. So you need big, strong defensive ends to defend the run. He can even reduce down and play inside like he did at Texas A&M a little bit, right over the tackle, or even as a seven on the tight end as well.
What reallys sets Stewart apart, however, and what has scouts drooling, are his physical gifts.
In Indianapolis, Stewart ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, had a 40-inch vertical jump, a 10’11” broad jump and a 1.58 10-yard split, ranking fourth with a score of 84 in the Combine Athleticism Score for his position, per NFL.com. He also did it all while measuring in at 6-foot-5, 267 pounds.
“You do look at him on the field or at the combine, he had one of the best combines we have seen from an edge player, you go ‘ok that’s a freakish guy. That looks like a guy who can take a game over,'” Wasserman said.
Of course, Stewart is far from a sure thing either. At Texas A&M, despite his amazing athleticism, the sack numbers were simply not there.
In three seasons in College Station, Stewart had just 4.5 sacks and 61 pressures in 680 pass-rush snaps over 37 games. He also added 12 tackles for loss and 65 total tackles.
That said, his ability to defend the run and hold the edge are both things Eberflus covets in his edge defenders.
“There’s still a ways to go with the pass rush, we know this. But, he’s a really darn good run defender. He’s a powerful, strong run defender who can one arm and hold that edge on the outside in that wide nine as well. I think Eberflus is somebody who would like Shemar Stewart.”
