Bengals select Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart 17th overall

The Bengals missed the playoffs the past two seasons mainly because of the play of their defense.

Despite the dominance of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals ranked 21st in points and 31st in yards in 2023 and 25th in points and 25th in yards in 2024. And Hendrickson's situation remains unresolved with the NFL's sacks leader wanting either a contract extension or a trade.

The Bengals added an edge rusher with the 17th overall pick to either pair with Hendrickson or replace him, selecting Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart.

Stewart turned himself into a first-round lock with a dominating performance at the Senior Bowl practices.

He was not even a full-time starter until this past season, and he made only 1.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries and 5.5 tackles for loss in 2024. He finished his three years with 65 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

The Bengals still have needs at safety and linebacker as well as offensive guard.