When the Cincinnati Bengals selected Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, it didn't have much to do with Trey Hendrickson and the All-Pro's current contract standoff with the team.
While the national narrative attempted to suggest the Bengals drafting a first-round edge defender might signal Hendrickson's departure, such a move never happened and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor shot down the notion.
While analyzing the pick, we suggested Stewart actually slots more into that Sam Hubbard-like role as a defender who sets the edge in a rotation.