Texas A&M Aggies' Shemar Stewart Among ESPN’s Top 100 Best Draft Picks

Former Texas A&M Aggies edge rusher Shemar Stewart was named among the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart, left, and head coach Zac Taylor, right, pose together ahead of a press conference, Friday, April 25, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Texas A&M Aggies standout edge rusher Shemar Stewart is earning respect from around the league ahead of his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

ESPN’s Matt Miller put together a list of the top-100 picks made in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Stewart found himself within the top-40, sitting at the 39th best position. The Bengals selected him with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The rankings are based on not only talent, but pre-draft rankings, value, scheme fit, whether or not the players’ position was a need and other factors.

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) drops back to pass against Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (4) during the third quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Stewart’s high ranking is partially because of his phenomenal pre-draft testing. At the NFL Combine performance, the 6-5, 267-pound end ran an impressive 4.59-second 40-yard dash, recorded a 40-inch vertical jump and fell just an inch shy of an 11-foot broad jump, causing his name to jump up recruiting boards.

In his time with the Aggies, Stewart had an alarming lack of production, recording only 4.5 sacks over his three seasons in College Station. Part of the reason for his lack of production is the team he had around him.

Stewart played alongside multiple other defensive linemen who were taking in the 2025 draft. Defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who went to the Arizona Cardinals with the 16th pick was with the Aggies and Stewart before transferring to Ole Miss. Nolen sits at the No. 34 spot on the list due to Arizona’s defensive line guru Jonathan Gannon.

He also played across from fellow edge Nic Scourton, who was selected 51st overall to the Carolina Panthers. Playing with players of their caliber made it hard for Stewart to get to the quarterback before they did. He often forced quarterbacks into their outstretched arms.

Stewart claimed the 39th spot because Miller said he felt the Cincinnati Bengals reached for him. At the same time, Miller said the Bengals could come away with the steal of the draft if Stewart can make his testing translate into on-field success.