Daniel Jeremiah has Colts selecting Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart in final mock draft

This is a puzzling pick for the Colts, given their situation.

According to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the Indianapolis Colts will select Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart in his final NFL mock draft:

14. Indianapolis Colts

Shemar Stewart

Texas A&M · Edge · Junior

Colts GM Chris Ballard has always placed a premium on athletic traits, and Stewart offers those in a big way. This feels very similar to the selection of Kwity Paye when he was coming out of college in 2021. Indianapolis drafts an edge rusher in the first round for the second year in a row (Laiatu Latu in 2024) after losing Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency.

For what it’s worth, Penn State’s Tyler Warren goes #10 to the Chicago Bears in this mock.

Regarding Stewart, the 6’5,” 267 pound junior edge rusher (with 34 1/8” arms) recorded 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, and a forced fumble during 12 starts in 2024 for the Aggies.

Stewart is highly athletic, long, and explosive, but the elite physical traits don’t match the expected high level of pass rushing production, with just 1.5 total sacks last season.

While Stewart fits the mold of a ‘RAS guy’ (with a nearly perfect 9.99 RAS) that Colts longtime general manager Chris Ballard has coveted in the past, he sort of got away from that notion last year with the selection of Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick. While still a pretty good athlete at the position (albeit undersized), Latu’s more of an NFL ready natural pass rusher and technician than pure athletic specimen as an edge.

It’s because of the selection of Latu, as well as another first round edge rusher Kwity Paye, as to why I can’t envision Ballard selecting another defensive end so early on—particularly one who’s possible first round pedigree is based more off of promise and potential than actual production for a general manager who’s currently on the hot seat in Indy.