Vikings selecting EDGE Shemar Stewart in 2025 NFL Draft would send explosive message to quarterbacks everywhere

Welcome to SKOL Search 2025! This is the fifth year I have done SKOL Search with the sole mission being to find NFL Draft prospects for the Minnesota Vikings. Throughout the entire process, this will be the most comprehensive draft guide with a focus on the Vikings. Each year, I scout incoming draft prospects from […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 2, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart (4) breaks past New Mexico Lobos offensive lineman Matthew Toilolo (74) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field.
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Welcome to SKOL Search 2025!

This is the fifth year I have done SKOL Search with the sole mission being to find NFL Draft prospects for the Minnesota Vikings. Throughout the entire process, this will be the most comprehensive draft guide with a focus on the Vikings.

Each year, I scout incoming draft prospects from a neutral perspective and try to see how they could fit with Minnesota. This will be general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's fourth NFL Draft and we have a good sense of what he likes in a prospect.

Going into the offseason, the Vikings have just three official selections with a fourth likely coming with a compensatory selection in the third round. However they choose to use them, they need to make the most out of their limited resources.

Shemar Stewart

  • Texas A&M
  • Height: 6051
  • Weight: 281
  • Class: Third-year Junior
  • Recruiting info: 4-star recruit in 2021 class per 247 Sports
  • Stats: 65 tackles (30 solo), 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 79 pressures, 4 passes defended, 2 fumbles recovered, 1 forced fumble, 1 touchdown
  • Games watched: Arkansas 2024, LSU 2024, Notre Dame 2024

Strengths

  • Athleticism: Stewart is an incredible athlete, especially when you adjust for size. He explodes around the bend and through players equally. Don't be surprised if he tests as one of the best size-adjusted athletes in recent history.
  • Power: Stewart is a strong player. He can long-arm offensive tackles and convert speed to power consistently.
  • Pass Rush Moves: Stewart can attack you in a myriad of ways. Long arm, speed to power, rip, bending around the edge, and looping as a stunter are all ways Stewart thrives in getting to the quarterback.
  • Run Defense: Stewart is going to make a lot of money rushing the passer, but he will get into the game early due to his run defense. He is explosive in attacking 

Weaknesses

  • Balance: Stewart bends around the edge well, but he loses his balance far too often without being pushed off of his spot. It could be as simple as he doesn't have the right cleats on, but it happens too often.
  • Finishing: Stewart gets to the quarterback consistently, but he struggles to finish at the quarterback. Pressures are the most important thing, but he could cash in more sacks if he became a better finisher.

Inline

Overview

TraitGrade

Bend

9.1/10

Quickness/Burst

13.4/15

Finesse

4.3/5

Power

4.7/5

Counters

8.8/10

Awareness

9.2/10

Run Defense

9.3/10

Versatility

9.5/10

Size/Length

14.2/15

Tackling

8.0/10

Grade

90.5 First Round Grade

Stewart is a top 10 player who is going to rise up draft boards in a similar way to how Travon Walker did in 2022. He can do a little bit of everything for you, including play the run and kick inside.

The Vikings might not need an edge rusher, but a player like Stewart who can do everything for you is a game-changer. This is a game wrecker that would be perfect for the NASCAR package the Vikings like to run.

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