Joel Klatt Claims Dylan Stewart Would Be A 1st Round Pick In the 2026 NFL Draft

College football analyst Joel Klatt recently claimed that South Carolina's Dylan Stewart would be a first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft is nearly a month away as the next batch of incoming rookies have almost arrived to their new teams. This year's class is expected to have a handful of extremely talented players who will have huge impacts on their respectigve NFL rosters.

But while there is no shortage of talent in this year's draft class, many believe that some of the prospects are still at the college level. One analyst who seems to believe this sentiment is Fox Sports' Joel Klatt, who recently preformed a mock draft with both current NFL prospects, and collegiate players who have yet to declare for the NFL Draft.

During an episode of The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt revealed that South Carolina Gamecocks' defensive end, Dylan Stewart would be a top-15 pick in this year's draft even though he did not declare following the 2025 college football season.

Joel Klatt Claims Dylan Stewart is a Top-15 Pick in This Year's NFL Draft

Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks edge Dylan Stewart (6) during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

"He [Stewart] was a freshman All-American in 2024, and he backed it up with a really productive sophomore campaign," said Klatt. "I think he's going to be one of the top picks in the draft next year in 2027, but in my all college football mock draft here, he lands with the [Baltimore] Ravens at pick 14. I love that pick, I think Dylan Stewart is a really good player."

Stewart has been nothing short of spectacular in his first two seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks. In that time, he has accounted for 11 total sacks, six forced fumbles, and more than 50 total tackles.

Heading into the offseason, many speculated that the highly talented edge defender would likely hit the transfer portal in search of a bigger payday. However, Shane Beamer and his staff did an excellent job at ensuring Stewart would remain in Columbia, for what many assume will be his final season in college.

Given Stewart's immense talent and his expected NFL prowess, the fact that he will be on the Gamecocks' roster for another season should be extremely promising to South Carolina fans, as they gear up for another college footballs season.

Stewart and the Gamecocks will begin their 2026 college football season on Saturday, September 5th, when the team hosts Kent State for its season opener. A kickoff time and TV network for this event will be announced at a later date.