Few if any first-round rookies across pro football had a ruder introduction to the NFL last season than Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart. The 17th overall pick got off on the wrong foot with a contract dispute, and was ill-prepared to be on the field in the eight games he did appear in.
Stewart was beset by injuries as it was, and given that he had only 4.5 sacks in three years at Texas A&M, he needed all the reps and development he could get. Whether it was missing most of the offseason program, or being out of the lineup once the real games began, Stewart encountered road blocks at every turn.
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old athletic marvel has loads of talent. Ahead of the 2026 campaign, he seems determined to capitalize on on those considerable gifts.
Bengals DE Shemar Stewart making major strides to unlock more of his immense potential
It took until the second half of his third season for the light to come on for 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy. The hope for Stewart is that it doesn't take that long. A revamped defensive line anchored by All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence should certainly help his cause.
But much of Stewart's destiny depends on his own work ethic, what he can control, and refining his raw technique to live up to his lofty draft status.
During the latest phase of Cincinnati's offseason program, it's evident that Stewart has a firmer grasp on Al Golden's scheme, and is drawing early praise from his position coach Jerry Montgomery. Stewart provided a key quote to Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard that could foreshadow big things ahead for him in Year 2:
"Once you know what you’re doing, you can play and move a lot faster. When you’re in your head about things and you’re second-guessing yourself, that’s when you move around timid. I feel like that’s what I’ve been trying to eliminate from my game since I walked out of here after year one. I think I got my first 'good job' from Jerry this offseason so I’m doing something right."
Taking accountability for one's own shortcomings is a huge first step toward improvement. Stewart did that in spades here. The NFL is an unforgiving environment, and it can take some time for players to know what it takes to be a true pro, and/or how to properly prepare.
Beyond the nuances of technique, the intricacies of Golden's system, and the other minutiae of honing his craft, Stewart has taken the initiative to put the proper fuel in his body to accelerate his development. He spoke at length about earlier this month, as recorded in the locker room by CLNSCincy.com's Mike Petraglia:
"I don't consume sugar [anymore]. Everything I drink is zero-calorie or water. Try to be more protein-rich, so I can lean out all that baby fat off me, get the bad weight off me. [...] I've definitely been doing PT, all the extra things to make sure I have a little bit of an edge going into the year. If somebody tells you, cut out sugar, you can play in the NFL for like 10-plus years, what would you say? Sounds like a fair trade-off to me."
Prior to trading the 10th overall pick for Lawrence in this year's draft, Cincinnati has spent first-round draft capital predominantly on succession-plan players. In Stewart's case, he'll ideally be the long-term replacement for newly minted Raven/elite pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Both Stewart and Hendrickson clashed over contracts with Bengals upper management last offseason. All that extraneous noise is mercifully gone now that Hendrickson is in Baltimore and Stewart's rookie deal is locked in place.
But between Murphy's aforementioned emergence in 2025, the addition of Stewart's college teammate in second-round pick Cashius Howell, and the free-agent signing of Boye Mafe, nothing will be handed to Stewart as he vies to take a big leap forward as an NFL sophomore.
Will Stewart be up to the task? So far, so good, but then again, hope springs eternal across the whole league at this time of year.
If he can contribute anything of substance in 2026, Stewart might be the X-factor who lifts this new-look Cincinnati defense to a whole other level.
The sooner Stewart can make a true impact, the better. Because as this offseason showed, the Bengals are no longer keen to waste any more years of Joe Burrow's prime on hypothetical expectations, half-measure roster moves, or hypothetical upside.
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