SANTA CLARA — Shemar Stewart, who visited the 49ers during the pre-draft process, is the epitome of a traits-over-production draft prospect.
In 37 career games as a defensive end at Texas A&M, Stewart registered just 4.5 sacks -- spread equally over his three seasons. He finished his career without a sack in his final eight games.
Stewart had an answer for his low output when asked at the NFL Scouting Combine about his less-than impressive numbers.
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SIGN UP HERE "I wasn't a sack-chasing warrior,” he said. “I just wanted to become the best player for my team. And sometimes the stats don't show that.
“Sometimes the stats don't tell the whole story. It's all about the film. And when you look at the film, you can really see what's going on for the most part. Production is a little overrated."
Stewart is a rare athlete who figures to hear his name called within the top 20 picks Thursday night in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft because his measurables are off the charts.
General manager John Lynch spoke generally about the 49ers’ process for arriving at a draft evaluation of a player whose size, speed, agility and power are far greater than his college statistics.
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“You want see skills that translate to what we do, but you also want to see that they've done it at a high level, or at least that there's evidence that they can do it,” Lynch said Tuesday during his pre-draft press conference with Bay Area reporters.
“I think you end up struggling when you project too much because these guys have had ample time and there’s always circumstances and context that you take into account as to maybe why this guy is so talented but he's never had the production. At some point, the production doesn't lie.”
Stewart could be an option for the 49ers with the No. 11 overall pick based on his unique physical attributes.
Any team that invests a high draft pick in Stewart is projecting that he can be a game-changing player with coaching and a proper scheme fit.
Stewart is 6-foot-5, 267 pounds after playing at 285 pounds during his time in college. He has 34 1/8-inch arms.
Athletically, few are as impressive. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds with a vertical leap of 40 inches and a standing broad jump of 10-11.
He is viewed as a player with the flexibility to turn the corner as a pass-rusher and the strength to hold sturdy against the run.
Stewart also plays with a good motor, which makes his low sack numbers all the more perplexing. Most draft experts agree that Stewart should get considerably better over time.
"My ceiling, if I keep working, I could potentially be a Hall of Famer one day,” he said. “I feel like nobody can stop me but me. It's all on me."