Josaiah Stewart Michigan scouting report

Josaiah Stewart Michigan scouting report


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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