Josh Edwards of CBS Sports unveiled his latest mock draft on Thursday, projecting the San Francisco 49ers to bolster their defensive front with the 11th overall pick. Following a disappointing 6-11 season, Edwards predicts that general manager John Lynch and his team will select former Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart in the first round.
"The interior defensive line has fallen off in recent years and an injury to Javon Hargrave exacerbated those issues," Edwards explained. "Shemar Stewart will hopefully reinvigorate that unit and give it some life alongside Nick Bosa."
Hargrave's season ended prematurely after he suffered a triceps injury and landed on injured reserve. Lynch recently announced that the 49ers intend to move on from the veteran defensive tackle, and will designate him as a post-June 1 release.
As for Bosa, the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year saw a dip in production, finishing the season with nine sacks—his lowest total since 2020, when he missed 14 games due to injury.
Stewart's impact with the Aggies
During his three seasons at Texas A&M, Stewart (6-6, 290) accumulated 65 tackles (12 for a loss), 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and one forced fumble.
In 2024, Stewart posted a career-best 79.4 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, highlighted by an impressive 88.9 run-defense grade. He also ranked second on the team with 33 pressures.