Falcons Projected to Make 'Higher Upside' Investment at Edge Rusher

Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski predicted the Atlanta Falcons to address their biggest need at No. 15 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons enter another NFL Draft this spring with a big need at edge rusher. In part, that's because the Falcons were unable to get much of anything from 2024 draft picks Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus.

But Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski argued on March 20 that the initial failure to develop Orhorhoro and Dorlus won't deter the Falcons from selecting another edge rusher with enormous potential and possibly a lower floor.

In his latest NFL mock draft, Sobleski predicted the Falcons to select Texas A&M's edge rusher Shemar Stewart.

"Stewart has the potential to be an elite edge-rusher," Sobleski wrote. "As [Bleacher Report's Matt] Holder rightly stated, he's yet to provide the production as proof of concept.

"Still, the Falcons brought in similar developmental defensive line talents a year ago in Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus. Stewart falls in line with those investments, with much higher upside."

Holder argued Stewart "lacks first-round production" but has "great traits to rack up plenty of sacks" at the next level. Holder added that the Falcons should target an edge rusher because although free agent signing Leonard Floyd will help, the team added him on only a one-year deal.

Sobleski cited Stewart's relative athletic score among edge rushers in the 2025 class as the top reason for labeling the prospect with high upside. Stewart registered the third-highest score in that analytical statistic.

Stewart has been one of a few popular selections for the Falcons in NFL mock drafts this offseason. Most recently, Atlantafalcons.com's Tori McElhaney projected the Falcons to select Stewart in her second mock draft released at the end of the first week of NFL free agency on March 14.

"The moves made in free agency (and the loss of Grady Jarrett) means the Falcons may be all-in to draft a pressure player with pick No. 15. It's just a matter of who is available. After hearing what Jalon Walker had to say about Jeff Ulbrich and the Falcons this week, if Walker is there, I say the Falcons take him," wrote McElhaney.

"Enter Shemar Stewart, who one could argue is one of the best edge rushers on the board despite his lack of sack production. He is still a top-20 talent that has major upside the Falcons need in pass rush."

On the latest big board from NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, Stewart sat at No. 27 overall. ESPN's big board has Stewart ranked as the fourth-best edge rushing prospect and No. 19 overall player in the 2025 draft class.

"I’m sure some will struggle to see past the limited sack total, but there is just too much talent here to fall into that trap," wrote Jeremiah.

Stewart posted 4.5 sacks in 37 games at Texas A&M during his college career. The edge rusher also had 12 tackles for loss, four pass defenses and 65 combined tackles over three seasons.