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4 hours ago
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The Cincinnati Bengals might need a Trey Hendrickson replacement soon enough.
They took the riskiest defensive end in the NFL Draft to do it.
They chose Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in Thursday night's first round.
Stewart had 1.5 sacks in his first season with Texas A&M, 1.5 sacks in his second season, and 1.5 sacks in his third season.
That's right. Stewart finished his three-year college career with 4.5 sacks in 37 games played.
That's astounding. There may have never been a more traits-over-production pick in the history of the draft.
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Stewart tested off the charts, which is great. He has a longer wingspan than LeBron James, according to ESPN.
He also couldn't dominate college offensive linemen even occasionally.
It's a total mystery how this might work out.
The ideal scenario for the Bengals would be to reach a contract extension with Hendrickson so he can mentor Stewart for a few seasons.
If Hendrickson winds up being traded or holding out, though, Stewart could get pressed into duty sooner than is ideal.
Stewart eventually will have to sink or swim. He'll look impressive doing either one, but it remains to be seen whether he's got the technique to swim successfully in the NFL.
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