'He's going to become my best buddy' — Shemar Stewart inadvertently puts pressure on the Bengals to resolve their ongoing issue
Now that Shemar Stewart is on his way to the Queen City, it's up to the Cincinnati Bengals to maximize all the physical talents he has that made him the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It'll take a village. The coaching staff needs a plan to get his technique up to form in […]
Now that Shemar Stewart is on his way to the Queen City, it's up to the Cincinnati Bengals to maximize all the physical talents he has that made him the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It'll take a village. The coaching staff needs a plan to get his technique up to form in order to play early and often. An understanding of what he does best and where to line him up along the defensive line is also necessary.
Help from his teammates is also part of the equation, which is where Trey Hendrickson would really come in handy. It's already what Stewart himself is expecting.
Drafting Shemar Stewart means the Bengals need Trey Hendrickson even more
Stewart will report to OTAs next month to officially begin practicing with the rest of his new team. It's far from a guarantee that Hendrickson will do the same.
Hendrickson and Cincinnati are in the middle of a contract dispute, one that could take weeks if not months to resolve. It's nothing the franchise isn't used to at this point after going through this last year with Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins and Jessie Bates III before him, but the idea of Hendrickson staying away from the team while the standoff ensues makes it the club's biggest issue at the moment.
One could say the addition of Stewart gives the Bengals leverage here. A new 21-year old edge defender joining the defensive line room means the team has a potential long-term answer in case Hendrickson decides to never play for the team again.
In reality, Stewart is unlikely to be the player he'd need to be to replace Hendrickson immediately, and even the people who drafted him surely know that.
Even Stewart knows that.
During his first conversation with local media, Stewart acknowledged the faults in his game such as, in his own words, "wrapping up the quarterback" and "leaving my feet" when asked why his production didn't match the talent he showcased on film. Recognizing weaknesses is the first step toward making them into strengths. The next is having a plan to turn it into action.
Stewart's plan directly involves Hendrickson.
“I’m going to come in there and work my tail off," Stewart said. "Me and Trey Hendrickson, he’s going to become my best buddy because I’m going to be under his tail.”
He's got the right mindset, that's for sure. Hendrickson knows everything about converting speed to power, the part of Stewart's game that is already really good. Turning that power into tangible production is why Hendrickson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and led the NFL in sacks last year. If there's anyone Stewart needs to emulate, it's the best player on his new defense.
But he can't do that if Hendrickson isn't practicing with him.
The Bengals were open to trading Hendrickson for the price of a first-round pick. That path has now closed with the first round of the draft expired. Not only would it be unwise for Cincinnati to deal away its best defensive player for a discounted price, Stewart's environment to develop as quickly as possible would worsen as well.
When asked if the Hendrickson situation impacted the selection, head coach Zac Taylor affirmed picking Stewart was entirely independent of the drama.
"It's not a story about anybody else," Taylor said. "It's just, I don't think you can ever have enough D-lineman, especially in this league, in this division. So it doesn't speak to anybody else that's on our football team. It's just adding another weapon to our defense that we can utilize and keep guys fresh and keep us coming after the quarterback and being relentless against the run.
"This just speaks to how we want to play football. We want a stout defense, and a lot of times that starts up front. And so I think adding pieces to that puzzle up front is always a helpful thing for us."
Stewart is certainly one of the shinier pieces to the puzzle now. The best way to ensure the luster lasts is he has his new best buddy is there alongside him to help him along for this year and more to come.
Hendrickson already deserved the pay day and long-term security he's after. Picking Stewart just adds more pressure on the front office to make it happen.
Grading the Bengals drafting Shemar Stewart with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
Cincinnati took a gamble with its first-round pick.
