Stewart doesn’t really fit the Lions defense Detroit ran under Aaron Glenn, but new DC Kelvin Sheppard might want someone with Stewart’s particular set of skills.
Josaiah Stewart is a player who has taken on some recent Lions attention after a pre-draft visit. He was a well-known commodity from his two seasons at Michigan, leading the Wolverines defense in sacks and tackles-for-loss in 2024.
Josaiah Stewart, OLB, Michigan
Stewart had an interesting college career. He burst onto the national scene as a freshman at Coastal Carolina before fading into lower-level status for a couple of years, then rising back up with a strong final season at Michigan.
- Played two seasons at Coastal Carolina and set the Chanticleer school sack record (13) as a freshman
- 6-foot-1, 249 pounds with 32″ arm length
- Team captain in 2024
- 8.5 sacks, 13 TFLs in 2024
- High school teammate of NFL players Mike Sainristil, Isaiah Likely and Lewis Cine
- Turns 22 during the draft weekend
Games watched: USC (in person), Ohio State, Indiana, Washington, Oregon (in person), Texas
Positives
- Explosive speed-to-power from a stand-up EDGE spot
- Jolting power for his size off the snap
- Very active hands and feet on his pass rush
- Well-honed technician with several ways to beat a block on his way to the QB
- High motor that always runs hot
- Has some bend and can flex his ankles low around the edge
- Good finisher in the backfield
Negatives
- Has played exclusively as a wide-aligned stand-up rusher
- Better effort than results in run defense
- Lacks length and strength to be more than a duck-in or pursuit run defender; not an edge-setter
- Will get moved by better-blocking TEs
- Can get trapped upfield on quick slants and cutbacks behind him
- Missed tackle rate over 25 percent in the run game in 2024
Overall
Stewart proved to be an effective attack weapon as a wide-aligned stand-up pass rusher in both his college stops. He’s got burst, a nice array of speed-to-power moves and can close quickly on the ball. Alas, Stewart isn’t a great fit for the Lions defense that Aaron Glenn ran; he’s not going to set an edge against the run and doesn’t really have the size or length to line up inline. If the Lions are looking to move to a more odd-front attack or have a pass rush specialist role in the defense under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, Stewart should definitely intrigue on Day 2 of the draft.
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