On the same Thursday afternoon Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris watched Texas A&M's pro day with an eye almost certainly geared toward the defensive line, Aggies head coach Mike Elko gave a strong recruiting pitch to the entire NFL about his team's biggest prospect.
Shemar Stewart, the chiseled, 6'5", 267-pound defensive lineman who lit up the 2025 NFL combine after running a 4.59 40-yard dash and notching a 40-inch vertical jump, has faced questions about his production throughout the pre-draft process.
Stewart recorded only 4.5 sacks -- 1.5 in each season -- during his three-year, 37-game collegiate career. He tallied 11 tackles for loss, half of which came in 2024.
When speaking at the NFL combine, Stewart said production is "overrated." Elko offered a deeper response that provided context to Stewart's numbers.
"I don't think you can just look at sack numbers," Elko said. "I think I read somewhere he had about one-third the amount of one-on-one pass rush opportunities this year because of double teams, chips, seven-man protection, screens. People went against those kids with a plan of: how to not allow them to impact the game."
Elko feels other coaches and evaluators, regardless of level, agree with him.
"So, I think to just pick up a piece of paper and look at production, I don't know that that always tells the whole story," Elko said. "I know the NFL sees that. I think if you asked offenses coaches in the SEC the impact those kids had on games, I think they would probably tell you it's a little bit more than just the stat numbers."
The 21-year-old Stewart had an "official-30" visit with the Falcons after the NFL combine. Atlanta, which owns the No. 15 overall pick in the first round, has been a common pairing for Stewart in mock drafts.
Stewart has a wealth of traits that offer hope about his upside as a pass rusher. He often flashes speed-to-power ability, and he can condense pockets with the jolt in his hands. But the Miami native lacks a consistent pass rush plan, and he doesn't have much depth to his arsenal.
On rushing downs, Stewart uses his frame and strength to set a quality edge, though he's proven he can hold up at the point of attack on the interior as well.
Even with Elko's explanation, Stewart is the prototypical "traits versus production" prospect. Whoever drafts him will be swinging on his immense upside -- and if it's the pass rush-needy Falcons, there's added urgency for him to reach his ceiling.