The Cincinnati Bengals’ selection of Shemar Stewart with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was a polarizing pick, to say the least.
While Stewart generated a lot of pressure (39) last season, he only finished with 1.5 sacks in 2024. His college career features only 4.5 sacks.
Despite that, the Bengals still opted to use a premium pick on Stewart, and according to Mike Payton of A to Z Sports, the Bengals weren’t the only team enamored by Stewart’s potential.
Payton believes the Detroit Lions tried to trade up for Stewart before the Bengals ultimately ended up selecting him.