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The Bucs will be looking to see improvements in their defensive players next season, but they will also need reinforcements. While Tampa Bay made investments along the defensive line with their top picks in the 2022 (Logan Hall) and 2023 (Calijah Kancey) draft classes, they could look to do so again.
Depending on who is on the board at No. 19 in the 2025 NFL Draft, they might see adding another defensive lineman as a way to bolster the pass rush and trenches. One of the most intriguing players linked to the team in mock drafts is Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart.
What Stewart lacks in sack production, he makes up for it with the traits and drive to be one of the game’s best.
Shemar Stewart Has Worked On Turning Pressures To Sacks
Florida QB DJ Lagway and Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart – Photo by: USA Today
Shemar Stewart did not pile up sacks during his time at Texas A&M. Across three seasons with the Aggies, Stewart had 1.5 sacks each season, finishing with 4.5 sacks in 37 games. While those numbers are nowhere near what anyone would want or expect from someone projected to be a first-round pick, a breakout could be around the corner for him as he makes the jump to the NFL.
Stewart had 39 pressures last season, including six hurries in three separate games. He graded much better in run defense, finishing the year with an 88.2 grade per Pro Football Focus. The 6-foot-5, 281-pound defensive lineman has seen his hard work pay off as a run-stopper.
“Definitely striking blocks,” Stewart told Pewter Report during the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl week about where he has made the biggest strides. “My run defense sucked when I came into college. Play recognition, just a lot.”
Still, the elephant in the room is his lackluster sack totals.
The Bucs have acquiring a premium pass rusher at the top of their offseason to-do list and could go the veteran route to address it. With the way head coach Todd Bowles values versatility across his defense though, Stewart is a tantalizing option. He has the size to play along the defensive line in Bowles’ 3-4 scheme, but he could also rotate in as an outside linebacker. His athleticism and sky-high ceiling could enamor someone to take a chance on him, but he would profile as a secondary addition to a more proven name.
Shemar Stewart is a player you have to trust the tape and traits on. Unlimited potential with such a solid foundation.
This rep is an example. Ball goes away, but Stewart shows textbook technique. Disciplined. Physical. It’s everything you teach. pic.twitter.com/dKqJVmLO3T
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) February 6, 2025
Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart – Photo by: USA Today
“That’s something that I’ve been working on,” Stewart said about turning pressures into sacks. “Whether that’s fixing my bend or fixing my footwork on a specific angle. At the end of the day, I want to be great at the game of football. I want to be one of the all-time greats when it’s all said and done. The great ones find a way to get it done so that’s what I’ve been working on doing.”
Shemar Stewart has a long way to go before knowing his next team with the 2025 NFL Draft still over two months away, but when asked about his fit in Tampa Bay next to defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, he has a connection to Kancey already.
“Calijah is a Miami native,” Stewart said. “I think it would be great to play with somebody from the same hometown as me.”
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine will be another week for Stewart to showcase to prospective teams that he is different. It would mean taking a bet on him, but not many players flash the way he does on the football field.
