The NFL draft is 17 days away, and Baltimore has been engulfed in rumors that they'll target a pass rusher in round one after signing cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. David Bearman of Pro Football Network created an intriguing Content Creator/Beat Writer mock draft with 32 writers across the NFL making picks for the teams they cover. The Ravens Wire participated, and Baltimore landed a physical pass rusher with elite athleticism at pick No. 27.
Stewart falling to the late first round would qualify as a major surprise and likely lead to the Ravens being labeled one of the winners of Round 1. Yes, his sack production in college was underwhelming, but edge rusher is one of the positions where the athletic requirements to excel are so high that leaning into athleticism over production makes more sense compared to other positions.
Baltimore ranked third in edge rusher sacks in 2024 (34.5), though that belies the group’s actual productivity. The Ravens only ranked 27th in pressure rate from their edge rushers (9.7% position average) but converted pressures to sacks at the second-highest rate (21%). With Odafe Oweh entering the last year of his rookie deal, Stewart could headline the position group by 2026 if the Ravens choose not to extend Oweh.
Stewart would bring athleticism and physicality to a position that will see Van Noy one year older and Ojabo likely as the odd man out.
Baltimore was third in the NFL with 34.5 sacks, but the team needs an edge rusher to complement Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. David Ojabo has underperformed, while Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac have yet to produce on a week-to-week basis.
Stewart joined Texas A&M as one of the top recruits in the 2022 class, appearing in 37 games for the Aggies over the last three seasons and amassing 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, four passes defensed, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in those games. The production from a sack and pressure standpoint was lacking at times. Still, Stewart cemented his status at the NFL Scouting Combine, weighing 267 pounds and recording an unofficial Relative Athletic Score of 10.00, surpassing former A&M star Myles Garrett.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Shemar Stewart falls to Ravens in mock draft for Pro Football Network
