Falcons Projected to Nab 'Physical Marvel' to Fix Pass Rush

It's officially draft month. That means NFL fans are approaching the home stretch of the NFL mock draft season.

With just a little more than three weeks remaining until the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, little seems to be changing on who the Atlanta Falcons might select.

On April 1, CBS Sports' Garrett Podell argued the Falcons need to address their pass rush. With that in mind, he predicted the Falcons to take a big swing with Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.

"Atlanta racked up the second-fewest sacks (31.0) and generated the third-lowest quarterback pressure rate (28.6%) in the entire NFL last season," Podell wrote. "The acquisition of Matt Judon (5.5 sacks in 17 games) was a bust. Time for the Falcons to shore up their defensive front.

"Shemar Stewart is a physical marvel at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, and his mobility at that size creates a major advantage for him. He tested comparably to fellow Aggie Myles Garrett at the combine, which boosted his draft stock. He possesses elite power as a result and a nice get off at the snap. That's why he's going to be a Falcon."

Stewart has been a popular choice for the Falcons in mock drafts this offseason. Most recently, Pro Football Focus' Josh Liskiewitz predicted the Falcons to target Stewart in his mock draft released on March 24.

But there could be some risk with targeting Stewart at No. 15. In 37 career college games, Stewart only posted 4.5 sacks. That lack of production based on his overall athleticism has some draft pundits concerned about Stewart at the next level.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranked Stewart No. 27 overall among all prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft on his latest draft big board. That was on March 6, and Jeremiah usually releases a new big board every month. It will be interesting to see where Stewart lands on Jeremiah's next big board.

Stewart has tested extremely well this offseason, which could cause him to rise on boards. But his athletic testing is a potential double-edged sword. As he continues to test well, pundits keep asking why he wasn't more productive at Texas A&M.

ESPN's 2025 NFL Draft big board has Stewart ranked fifth among edge rushers and No. 20 overall. Despite the lack of sacks in college, ESPN's Steve Muench argued his offseason testing matches "what you see on tape" from Stewart.

In Podell's mock draft, edge rushers Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker were already off the board when the Falcons selected Stewart at No. 15 overall. Fellow edge rushers Mike Green and Mykel Williams went right after Stewart at No. 16 and 17 overall, respectively, in Podell's April 1 mock.