The NFL Draft is less than a month away, which means we’ll be seeing weekly rumors from now until draft day. This week, the smoke around the Cowboys’ draft plan centered around Texas A&M star Shemar Stewart.
Stewart, 21, is one of the highest-ranked pass rushers in the 2025 class. The consensus is Penn State’s Abdul Carter takes the top spot, with Stewart landing right behind him.
Dallas, for all the running back and wide receiver talk, is poised to consider these top defensive options in April. With Matt Eberflus running that side of the ball, and the depth chart lacking, the defense could dominate this Cowboys draft.
If the front office does go that route, Stewart is at the top of the list of names they’d consider, and it’s time the Dallas faithful heard more about him.
Let’s talk about this former Aggie, the rationale behind taking him, and what it would mean for the rest of the draft.
Shemar Stewart: The Missing Piece on the D-Line?
There has been no shortage of investment in the Cowboys’ defensive line these past few years.
Micah Parsons, Marshawn Kneeland, Mazi Smith, and Sam Williams were all drafted in the first two rounds. That doesn’t include the recently-paid Osa Odighizuwa, or DeMarcus Lawrence, whom the team was paying a considerable amount before his departure to Seattle.
Nevertheless, it seems like Dallas is always considering the defensive line early in the draft. The reason behind drafting Stewart would be to eliminate that from future consideration.
The Miami native and former five-star recruit has a ceiling that few can touch. His potential, thanks to his freakish athleticism and rare combination of skills, is huge. Stewart is the kind of draft pick that can change a defense completely.
This was also the narrative around Parsons when Dallas drafted him in 2021. There were some questions about him as a prospect, but the ceiling reigned supreme.
For Stewart, many have debated his lack of production in college; in 37 games, he totaled just 4.5 sacks. His outlook as a prospect doesn’t add up to those numbers, and, for obvious reasons, that’s concerning.
The thing is, collegiate production doesn’t mean much sometimes. His pure talent and athleticism are next level, and a professional coaching staff could unleash that in ways a college staff can’t.
Matt Eberflus’ Influence: New Coach Means New Talent
In response to the Stewart rumors, many fans have pointed to the presence of players like Kneeland and Williams, who’ve been waiting in the wings as potential successors to Lawrence.
That’s a fine argument, as it is important to see if those guys, especially a second-year player like Kneeland, can contribute to the defense.
The problem is, Eberflus did not draft those guys, and a highly-touted defensive mind like him is going to want his players. We’ve seen this in free agency, and Dallas signed former Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn.
Eberflus’ scheme revolves around the defensive line, and if he feels like Stewart can blossom into a game-wrecker like Parsons, he is going to pound the table for him.
Pass rush talent rarely leaks into the later rounds, and there is certainly not going to be someone with Stewart’s potential in the middle rounds of the draft. By investing in Eberflus, it could make sense to invest in a high-ceiling guy right away.
If given adequate time to develop, mold his game, and reach his potential, Shemar Stewart may end up looking like a Parsons-esque draft pick, and that may be the long-term solution defensively.
In short, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys draft class is centered around a defensive star like Stewart.
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