Round 1 (17): Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M

[AMPHAR]

I also can't wait until preseason game 1 where he dominates a future UPS driver at tackle.   Myles Murphy has struggled to even look productive in the preseason.

But those were good times when Margus Hunt would throw a tackle for 5 yards like a shot put.

 

 

[ArmyBengal]

22 minutes ago, AMPHAR said:

He's productive just not in the sack category.

He wasn't productive in many of the categories that get most of the talk.
Sacks?  No.  Tackles?  Not really.  TFL? 13. Forced Fumbles? Just 1. INT's? None.

However, as I mentioned previously he led the nation in a little known stat "seconds to pressure" at 2.43 seconds.
Admittedly, that's REALLY fast from snap to making the QB feel your presence.
Leading his team in pressures is also noteworthy.

I don't know what they will get from him at this point, but won't complain about a guy that can bring that pressure.
Pressuring the QB makes things easier on the rest of the defense.  D-line, linebackers, secondary, everyone.
Yes please, give me that.

Hubbard was loved and averaged 5.5 sacks per season over his 7 seasons with the Bengals.
Dare I say that between Murphy and Stewart, they should be able to get that?
Color me confident...
 

[AMPHAR]

He was productive when using Aggie DL as a comparison.  The DL leader in tackles was 40.  The DL sack leader was 5.

He had 31 and 1.5.   The defense wasn't geared for the DL to produce stats, I guess. 

 

 

 

[TJJackson]

S U X

 

(and mind you, I LIKE drafting linemen)

[HoosierCat]

I gotta say, between the clips of him at the draft last night, then today at the stadium and with the media, I couldn’t help but instantly like the kid. He’s almost painfully earnest, and all his answers to questions seem good without being football-speak. He’s clearly jazzed about the whole situation. Whether he ever amounts to anything, we’ll see, but I’m rooting for him.

[TJJackson]

57 minutes ago, HoosierCat said:

I gotta say, between the clips of him at the draft last night, then today at the stadium and with the media, I couldn’t help but instantly like the kid. He’s almost painfully earnest, and all his answers to questions seem good without being football-speak. He’s clearly jazzed about the whole situation. Whether he ever amounts to anything, we’ll see, but I’m rooting for him.

all of this, I agree with

but it doesnt get us to SUPERBOWL

I mean, I want him to do well, I hope he is the second coming of Lawrence Taylor......but all I see is another Vernon Gholston right now

[Stripes]

I expect nothing, but I’ll be happy to be proven wrong.

I resist the tendency to talk myself into things if it feels like coping. Regardless, they have a plan and a vision, so we’ll see what happens.

No point in screaming yet. I’ll let him play.

[ArmyBengal]

I have tried in recent years not to talk myself into agreeing for the sake of agreeing as well.

Thats not the case here and have said I don’t dislike less than anyone here I think. If the only way you view the kid is by sacks, that’s a disservice.

I’m not leading the charge to put him in the Hall of Fame mine you, just acknowledging we addressed a need with a high motor, high character kid with outstanding athletic ability.

It’s not like some of the other character concerns and small school concerns you have with some of the others.

[TJJackson]

at the end of the day, Army, we want to win football games

I dont see this guy helping us do that

There were a lot of other guys available at that pick that I think WOULD have helped us

Lets hope he proves me wrong

[ArmyBengal]

I saw the Bengals gave Geno Atkins #97 jersey to Stewart.

He better not fuck up the mojo that jersey brings !!

I'm hoping Atkins' mojo is passed along to him.

 

[COB]

On 4/25/2025 at 4:25 PM, Stripes said:

I resist the tendency to talk myself into things if it feels like coping. 

I do this even when I know it is coping.  

[Stripes]

2 hours ago, COB said:

I do this even when I know it is coping.  

How else would the Arby's in Heath retain its only repeat customer?

[COB]

Right.  I just tell myself the story that makes me feel good.  Been creating my own reality for a while now.  It makes being a bengals fan a lot easier.

[ArmyBengal]

Just saw an interview with Shemar from the Senior Bowl and he was asked something along the lines of what QB he would like to sack the most his rookie year.  He answered, "Lamar".  Well, funny how that worked out where he will get two shots at him this year and each year moving forward for the near future.  Also mentioned he was going for the DROY.  His first challenge will be beating out the others for the other starting position before even getting that opportunity to make that a reality.

Regardless, I wish him all the luck in both endeavors and many years of success.

[AMPHAR]

The lack of development of previous defensive drafted guys certainly plays in the criticism of this pick.  Fans wanted more a sure thing.   They got well IF you "film nerd stuff" this is a great pick.

Nobody recently drafted on defense has morphed into a player that is a building piece on defense.  They can try to sell Dax but unfortunately they shelved him his rookie season, threw him under the bus 2nd season, change position then injured. 

[ArmyBengal]

Have long said the decisions to draft both Dax and Myles have killed this team.

They absolutely cannot afford for Stewart to be another example.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but one thing that will play into closing the championship window for Burrow will be for the team to continue missing first round defensive picks.

Now if Stewart if closer to the Texans Will Anderson, we are in business.
It's time for me to do my part of the "Hope and Pray Strategy" of the Bengals and say some prayers for this to happen.
C'mon guys don't let the team down.  Get to praying bitches !!

[HoosierCat]

It's going to be interesting to see how they use Stewart. Not to defend Myles Murphy, but he's spent his two years here fighting to get on the field. He was in on 27% of defensive snaps in 2023 and 31% in 2024. He was tail-end Charlie behind Hendrickson, Hubbard and Sample in '23 and Hendrickson, Hubbard and Ossai last season. Hard to make an impact from the bench.

Now we have Hendrickson (presumably), Ossai, Sample, Murphy, Cedric Johnson (7% of snaps last year) and Stewart atop the DE pile. So who goes where? Who plays, and how much? Is Stewart in there basically one play out of four like Murphy was his first year? If so, I'd guess he's not going to be super-effective. Does Murphy finally get above half of defensive snaps? Do you sit (or cut) vets like Trey, Ossai and Sample, who have been your go-tos the last couple years? Is Cedric Johnson just shit outta luck even though he racked up 7 tackles and a sack in like 80 snaps?

Like I said, it's going to be interesting to see what they do here.

[ArmyBengal]

Honestly I think Murphy gets the lion's share of the snaps Hubbard was getting.  I think it's his spot to lose.  That being said, I won't be surprised to see Golden have it be an open competition knowing how things ended last season for the defense. 

I'm equally curious what's going to happen with the linebackers and secondary though.
Not sure how many times they ran the 4-2-5 last season and who was on the field when, but with Pratt still on the roster, we have an abundance of linebackers.  I love that problem.  In the secondary, with it appearing to be Newton moving into Hilton's vacated slot role, where does that leave Dax?  How's Turner coming back from injury?  Do we get the safety play in the first half of 2024 or the second half?

Again, Golden doesn't need a top 10 unit, but getting them to middle of the road would be monstrous for this team.

[AMPHAR]

I think Myles Murphy has been out of shape entering TC the last 2 years.   He was running with the scrubs early in TC and would have never made it back in the rotation (prior to injury) if Sample and Hubbard didn't lose time. Then he loses time to injury.    Now he's cut out cereal and dropped fat.     If that isn't the magic pill, I would put him on the path of being cut.

I think Ossasi and Sample get first crack at Opposite DE snaps.    D-line draft picks were an oddity this year.  Top need but not a clear path to immediate playing time. 

I do hope there is more of a D-line rotation than what we've seen recently. 

[COB]

Bowls of Cap’n Crunch have basically wrecked our defense the last two years.  

[ArmyBengal]

3 minutes ago, COB said:

Bowls of Cap’n Crunch have basically wrecked our defense the last two years.  

Yeah, who knew?

Seriously though, what part of Froot Loops makes you think eating clean?
I mean I grew up in the 70's and still eat Froot Loops, Cap' Crunch, Apple Jacks and all that shit.
A professional athlete that is trying to cut back should know these days and I don't care if you're young.

What?  No Fruity Peebles?  What the Fuck ??  NO WAY !!!

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, everybody knows that the junk food of choice for elite nfl players is McDonald’s!

[COB]

Cap’n Crunch is getting straight up scapegoated and he’s not even around to defend himself.