Every front office has their preferences in draft prospects when combing over the landscape. The Green Bay Packers are no different. Given their history of selections, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart is a perfect Brian Gutekunst prospect.
The Packers recently used a top-30 visit to host Stewart in Green Bay. It further added to the idea of Stewart being a Gutekunst type of player.
So why exactly is Stewart a potential fit?
For one, he posted an insane Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 10 out of 10. Gutekunst has never said on record that the Packers cherish the RAS model. However, many of their draft picks would suggest it’s at least part of the equation.
Gutekunst has said getting guys with unique, proven athletic abilities is important.
If you’re lacking in certain areas, there’s going to be a ceiling. So, again, the most important thing is how you play the game – whether you can play at a high level or not. But having certain athletic attributes I think allows you to improve and get better and maybe have a little bit of a higher ceiling at times.
With the Lukas Van Ness pick at 13 in 2023, for example, Green Bay was taking a player with elite athleticism despite not starting at Iowa.
Athleticism and untapped potential ruled the day with the Van Ness selection. Through two years, he’s left a lot to be desired. However, dismissing Van Ness this early would be premature, if for no reason other than where Green Bay drafted him.
Like with Van Ness, Stewart’s freakish athleticism, not his production, is the draw. Look no further than NFL.com’s Lance‘s overview of the Texas A&M edge rusher.
Stewart is carved from granite, possessing a rare blend of traits, explosiveness and untapped upside. He’s long and sudden off the snap but hasn’t learned to weaponize his hands to control the point of attack and bypass protection with go-to moves. His bull-rush compresses the pocket off the edge, and he’s too athletic for guards when reduced inside. He can be very disruptive in both phases but requires additional training to start converting his opportunities into finishes. The lack of production relative to the traits is a concern; still, players who move like him are highly coveted.
Stewart is projected to go in the first round despite a severe lack of getting home to the quarterback in college. In three years and across 37 games at Texas A&M, Stewart had a combined 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. For some, that’s reason for pause.
You see the motor on film, the raw athleticism, and the burst at the line. But you don’t see too many sacks of the opposing quarterback in three years.
For some, the scant production may have Stewart slipping down the draft board a bit. That’s for front offices who believe in production over perceived potential. That won’t be the case in Green Bay, and Stewart already made an official visit to Lambeau Field, which shows that the Packers have genuine interest.
Whether you believe it’s a flawed line of reasoning is a different discussion for a different day. Green Bay has shown it can look past a lack of production for a prospect with extreme athletic traits it believes will transfer to the next level and only improve with time.
Most mock drafts have Stewart going near where Green Bay rests at No. 23 overall. It wouldn’t be shocking to hear Stewart’s name if he’s on the board when the Packers are on the clock.
Green Bay usually goes in a different direction than most think early in drafts, despite their resumé showing heavy favoritism towards the defensive side in recent years. That could be the one year they do the predictable thing and prove the mock drafters correct by selecting Stewart.
The Packers can go many different directions at No. 23. For all we know, they may move up or move back. What is certain is that there is a need at the edge rusher spot, and Stewart is a Gutekunst prospect to an absolute tee.