![\"American](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_4898,h_2755,x_0,y_235\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/packer_central\/01jm2b7pab2x9bjtrkhm.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Green Bay Packers have a history of taking high-upside edge rushers. They did it again in this new mock draft.<\/p>\n
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American team defensive lineman Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M (14) works through drills during Senior Bowl practice. \/ Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 The Green Bay Packers have thrown a lot of resources at their defensive line. In 2024, they finished eighth in sack percentage but 16th in pressure percentage.<\/p>\n \u201cI tell our defense all the time, I\u2019ve never seen a quarterback that can complete a pass when he\u2019s on his back,\u201d coach Matt LaFleur said at the end of the season.<\/p>\n With opposing quarterbacks spending too much time on their two legs, the Packers selected Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart in the first round of Dan Parr\u2019s mock draft at NFL.com.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt LaFleur has made it clear that a better pass rush is going to be essential for the Packers to take the next step,\u201d Parr explained. \u201cStewart has the tools to help, although he might need a little more seasoning.\u201d<\/p>\n Or a lot more.<\/p>\n Stewart spent three years at Texas A&M. He had just 1.5 sacks in all three of those seasons. However, he was one of the big winners during his abbreviated stay at the Senior Bowl, where he measured 6-foot-5 1\/8 and 281 pounds with 34 1\/4-inch arms.<\/p>\n \u201cHere we have a height-weight-speed freak,\u201d NFL.com\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah said in naming Stewart one of his 12 Senior Bowl standouts. \u201cThere was more disruption than production from Stewart during his college career — he posted just 4.5 sacks in 37 games — but I thought he had an impactful week in practices. All of his traits are elite, and he showed he\u2019s starting to figure some things out as a pass rusher.\u201d<\/p>\n Stewart was third-team all-SEC in 2024, when he set career highs with 31 tackles and 5.5 tackles for losses.<\/p>\n Stewart is Jeremiah\u2019s 27th-ranked prospect. He is Dane Brugler\u2019s ninth-ranked prospect at The Athletic.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is the type of prospect who will test the \u2018traits over production\u2019 slogan to which many NFL teams subscribe,\u201d Brugler wrote. \u201cHowever, his tape shows a far more disruptive player than his numbers suggest \u2014 he led the Aggies in pressures (39) in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n At Pro Football Focus, where Stewart is the No. 20 prospect, he was a highly graded run defender with an above-average pass-rush win rate.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a big emphasis on striking in the run game,\u201d he told Dawgs By Nature at the Senior Bowl. \u201cI went back to the roots and started tackling techniques again to improve stopping the run and learning the defensive scheme better.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my biggest downfalls was mental execution and tackling. So, I made a big emphasis on both and improved. I do a lot of things that don\u2019t show up in the stat book. Sometimes, I blow up the play and let somebody else take the sack or tackle. I am not a stat-chasing warrior.\u201d<\/p>\n The Packers have four first-round picks on their defensive line, including ends Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness. They combined for 10.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hits in 2024.<\/p>\n Gary and Van Ness were billed as high-upside players when they were drafted. Stewart is similar.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was a GM, I would take me with the highest pick you got. You don\u2019t want to miss this,\u201d Stewart told NFL.com\u2019s Tom Pelissero at the Senior Bowl.<\/p>\n \u201cI am everything people say I\u2019m not. People say I can\u2019t pass rush. People say I\u2019m not physical. People say I can\u2019t make plays. So that\u2019s what I\u2019m here to do,\u201d Stewart added. \u201cI\u2019m not going to get mad. I\u2019m not going to get mad about criticism, you know. All I\u2019ve got to do is just get better.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bears took an offensive lineman, the Vikings snared a safety and the Lions bolstered their pass rush in Parr\u2019s mock. Receivers went 25th and 26th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 The Green Bay Packers have thrown a lot of resources at their defensive line. In 2024, they finished eighth in sack percentage but 16th in pre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-bay-packers"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"NFL](\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/.image\/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/MTg4MTU0NTUzMjk0NjYxNTI1\/packersdraftlogo.jpg\")
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