Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart dominates at NFL combine

Former Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart made a big splash on the first day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Stewart is a big edge rusher, weighing in at 6-foot-5, 267 pounds, with long arms and a rare level of explosiveness for his size, which was evident in his performance at the combine.

The former Aggie ran a 4.59-second forty-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot-11 broad jump, which are outrageous numbers for his size. 

Those three events are essential for edge rushers to project how they will translate at the next level, and Stewart's workout demonstrated how rare an athlete he is.

However, between now and draft day, NFL draft circles will hone in on Stewart's lack of pass rush production at Texas A&M. He recorded just 4.5 sacks over three seasons.

While Stewart's career sack total doesn't match what would be expected from a first-round edge rusher, that number is a bit misleading. Last season, in particular, he was able to put pressure on the quarterback, even if that didn't result in many sacks.

Stewart is also a phenomenal run defender. He has an excellent combination of arm length and strength to control leverage battles at the line of scrimmage, along with the quickness and explosiveness to shoot into the backfield and blow up run plays.

While Stewart's lack of high-end pass rush production in college will be a valid reason for concern when projecting how he'll fare at the next level, it's hard to believe someone with such rare physical tools will make it outside the top half of the first round.

Edge rusher-needy teams picking around the top ten, such as the Panthers, Saints, Bears, 49ers and Cowboys, are all potential fits for Stewart to land on draft night.