The Bengals bet on upside and Al Golden as they select Shemar Stewart

In this entire draft class (outside of No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter), there was only one defensive end who has the traits, athleticism and upside to even have a shot to potentially replace a star pass rusher like Trey Hendrickson.

The Bengals drafted that guy in Shemar Stewart.

“The focus is on what he needs to improve, and that’s fair,” Al Golden said. “But I welcome that challenge. I know (DL coach Jerry Montgomery) does as well. I see not just him but all of these young men and the guys that are on our current roster — I see them for what they can do to help us win and not maybe the one thing that’s something they have to improve on.”

He sounds like a coach who’s untethered to four years of shaky drafting on the defensive side of the ball in Cincinnati.

You already know that Stewart had 4.5 total sacks in college (1.5 each year). It’s alarming, concerning and noteworthy. It’s why Stewart, who has absolutely elite physical traits, fell to pick 17 in the first place.

It’s a bet on this coaching staff being able to do what the previous one couldn’t and draft and develop a great defensive player. Depending on how you view Logan Wilson, the Bengals haven’t done that since they picked Jessie Bates in 2018.

“It’s more a vision for how would you utilize (Stewart),” Golden said. “We’re going to utilize him to his strengths. That’s what’s really important. We’re not going to ask him to do anything that he hasn't’ already done. We want to take his traits and develop him. This is an ascending player.”

That’s something that Lou Anarumo didn’t do enough of with the defenders that the Bengals selected between 2022 and 2024.

Dax Hill was a slot corner in college and then was asked to learn free safety. Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner were man corners who were asked to play a lot of zone. Zach Carter was a defensive end who was asked to add weight and play defensive tackle. Myles Murphy was mostly a run stopper in the D-Line rotation and never beat out Sam Hubbard for pass rushing snaps.

The Bengals hired Golden to do a better job of identifying, selecting and developing young cornerstone players on defense while the Bengals pay their stars on offense.

Well, Al, here you go.

“That’s a disruptive young man,” Golden said. “There are a lot of elements there are hard to find.”

(One note on Stewart. It’s very interesting that Stewart didn’t remember meeting with the Bengals. They did talk at the combine. But over the last few years, the Bengals have made it such a priority to get face time and really get to know their top picks through informal conversations, Zooms, 30 visits, Pro Days, etc. Stewart bucks that trend. It’s also worth noting that DT Walter Nolen and DE Mykel Williams went before the Bengals were on the clock).

Shemar Stewart’s short-term role

Golden said that he doesn’t view Stewart as a project.

He sees Stewart as a guy who’s ready to set the edge in the AFC North, which is the type of player that can be hard to find. He sees Stewart as a guy who knows how to create pressure and just has to refine some technical elements as a finisher. There aren’t many defensive ends who can “loop” in pass rush games, chase down ball carriers from behind and move around the D-Line (from an interior position to the very wide edge) like Stewart can.

Golden spoke about things that the staff can do to help Stewart “gather” once he’s in the backfield. Stewart views the next step for himself similarly.

"This past year I was getting there at the same time it was just technical things on the way to the quarterback I need to refine,” Stewart said. “It's not like I can't get there, I also led the team in pressures. It's just minor technical difficulties on my end."

Stewart’s ability to contribute against the run gives him a real ability to play right away. He’ll have to beat out Cam Sample for snaps against the run, which is very doable. The Bengals haven’t yet replaced the negative play production vs. the run that they received from Germaine Pratt and Mike Hilton. Stewart, if he cleans up his tackling, can take care of that.

Golden said that Stewart’s size (270 pounds) was a real factor in separating him (likely from a slight edge rusher like Mike Green).

“If you can get an edge that’s in that range and can also run like he does, then it just gives you flexibility along the front,” Golden said. “You don’t necessarily have to sub every time you want to get into a different package. There are very few guys at this level that can do that, and he’s one of them.”

Stewart will be competing with Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai for prime pass rush reps in 2025, but it really helps that Stewart and Ossai can both rush from the interior.

Stewart has a pretty clear path for a role in 2025.

“Other guys got great production because of what he caused (at Texas A&M),” Zac Taylor said. “That’s what shows up on every single play. That’s what we know we’re going to get out of him.”

Shemar Stewart’s long-term role

Taylor said that this pick wasn’t connected to Trey Hendrickson’s status.

“It’s not a story about anybody else,” Taylor said. “I don’t think you can ever have enough D-Linemen, especially in this league and this division. It doesn’t speak to anybody else that’s on this football team. It’s just adding a great weapon to our defense that we can utilize and keep guys fresh.”

But drafting Stewart sets the stage for a post-Hendrickson world. Even in a best-case scenario where Hendrickson signs a long-term deal, he’s already 30 and probably won’t be an every down player for many years after this one (he’ll still be able to rush the passer well for a while).

Hendrickson has proven how much one star edge rusher can shape an entire defense and give the group an identity. The Bengals don’t have the runs they did in 2021 and 2022 without him. They also viewed pass rushers end those runs.

On paper, Stewart and Murphy have the tools to be a complementary duo. Stewart said that the foundation of his game and his rush plan is power (he made the comparison to Hendrickson there). Murphy’s biggest asset is his speed.

Before tonight, Murphy was the only notable Bengals pass rusher under contract past this season. Defensive end is the most important position on that side of the ball, and the Bengals used their first-round pick on an edge with the skill set that they probably won’t have access to again for a while. You can’t find guys like this in free agency, and they don’t plan to be picking in the top-20 again next season.

The ripple effect

Even in a best-case scenario, Stewart won’t be playing more than half of the Bengals’ snaps unless there’s an injury this season.

The Bengals picked Stewart over DT Derrick Harmon as well as S Malaki Starks, who both could have been starters right away. Defensive end was far from the Bengals’ biggest short-term need for 2025 even if it was as big as any need on the 2026 roster.

Stewart vs. Harmon (picked by the Steelers) and Starks (picked by the Ravens) feels like the debate we’ll be relitigating in years to come.

Most of the other hot names heading into this draft on defense — Jihaad Campbell, Mike Green, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nick Emmanwori, etc — weren’t even picked until very late in the first round (in Campbell’s case) if at all on Thursday.

The Bengals’ biggest short term needs haven’t changed. They have room for a Day 1 starter at guard, defensive tackle, linebacker and safety.

Looking ahead to Day 2

While one Round 2 guard option went off the board in Donovan Jackson, there’s a strong selection of Round 2 guard options including Tate Ratledge, Jonah Savaiinaea and Miles Frazier.

Round 2 will also be the Bengals’ chance to add the only surefire Day 1 starter at linebacker left in Carson Schwesinger as well as the only true free safety who could start right away left available in Xavier Watts.

A short list for Round 2 picks should include those names.

The Bengals will have to fill a need in Round 2. And then, they’ll aggressively be in draft for need mode in Round 3 (just like last year when they reached for McKinnley Jackson).

Some Round 3 contributors at guard: Ozzy Trapilo (a tackle), Frazier and Dylan Fairchild.

Some Round 3 contributors at defensive tackle (they still only have four of them): Ty Robinson, Omarr Norman-Lott.

Some Round 3 contributors at linebacker: Danny Stutsman, Demetrius Knight.

Some Round 3 options at safety: Billy Bowman, Andrew Mukuba.

The Bengals will likely draft the guy who they view as playing the biggest position of need.