Cincinnati Bengals first-round rookie Shemar Stewart continues to command attention.
And this time, it’s all about his play on the field.
Stewart showed up big over the first few days of his training camp experience after the extensive contract holdout. He then capped it off with a big showing that featured at least one notable sack in practice work, as noted by Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
“First-rounder Shemar Stewart had a good day at various defensive line spots. They can’t block him with a running back. Kendall Milton, outweighed by 40 pounds, made a game try, but Stewart was able to bear hug quarterback Desmond Ridder. In one-on-one pass rush, Stewart ripped through rookie guard Dylan Fairchild …”
The Bengals need Stewart to come along quickly despite the chunks he missed because he could be a key part of the rotation on the edge. Along with former first-rounder Myles Murphy, he’s the long-term plan, with Joseph Ossai in the mix too.
On paper, Stewart’s run-stopping ability in college made him look like a Sam Hubbard-type replacement as a rookie. But if the pass-rushing skill develops like this, the rotation could be deeper than expected, which is a good thing considering Trey Hendrickson’s contract hold-in right now.
