In Marcus Mosher's latest 2025 NFL mock draft for the 33rd team, the Indianapolis Colts select a first-round edge rusher for the second consecutive season.
With the 14th overall pick, Mosher has the Colts taking Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart. Of note, Stewart is one of the prospects that the Colts have had in so far for an official 30 pre-draft visit.
"Chris Ballard only drafts elite athletes, and Shemar Stewart feels like the perfect pick for the Colts," wrote Mosher. "His production leaves a lot to be desired, but he is an all-time great athlete at defensive end and would pair well with Laiatu Latu."
As Mosher mentions, this would be a very Ballard-esque selection. We know he wants to build the defense through the trenches, and in addition to that, Stewart tested extremely well at the NFL combine, posting a perfect Relative Athletic Score of 10.00. This included running a 4.59-second 40 and recording a 40-inch vertical jump.
Stewart lined up in multiple gaps during his college career, which spanned 1,255 defensive snaps. Going beyond his ability as a pass rusher, Stewart was also one of PFF's highest-graded run defenders in 2024 as well.
Stewart's pass rush production has steadily improved each season and culminated with 33 of them in 2024. However, for a first-round selection, the overall pass rush production numbers are lacking, which is why Mosher would call Stewart a "wildcard."
Those 33 pressures ranked 87th among all edge rushers last season. Stewart also finished with just 4.5 sacks over 37 games.
This is a selection where the Colts, or whoever takes Stewart, is banking on that athleticism and upside he possesses to turn into high-level production.
Perhaps defensive end isn't a pressing need like tight end, but it is still a need. For one, after losing Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency, depth is needed. Not to mention that along with snaps, without Odeyingbo, the Colts also lost their top pressure-getter from the 2024 season.
But looking ahead to 2026, Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis are all free agents, and the draft is about planning ahead as well.
Last season, the Colts ranked 22nd in pressure rate and 26th in sacks, although being in a more aggressive scheme under Lou Anarumo should benefit the pass rush. Getting to the quarterback wasn't easy last season with how often opponents attacked the Colts' secondary through the quick passing game.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Colts pick Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart in latest mock
