2027 NFL Scouting Report: Dylan Stewart

Prospect Summary:

For the NFL, there is no doubt that Stewart is a dynamic defender with the potential to be an impact player. He has a great skill set to go along with instincts and natural football ability. Stewart has double-digit sack potential and could be a game-wrecker at the pro level.

In the pass rush, Stewart is an elite speed rusher. Stewart has a tremendous burst off the ball to get upfield and put tackles on their heels. On top of an explosive first step, Stewart has sprinter speed as he closes on the quarterback in a blur. He can beat tackles with pure speed even when they know it is coming as he runs the arc around the corner, blowing straight by them, and also uses that speed to set them up for him to cut to the inside or loop around other linemen on stunts. Stewart is an ultra-fast rusher, and he is going to get sacks and pressures just on his pure play speed.

On top of being very fast, Stewart has twitchy athleticism with the ability to dip under tackles and redirect to cut around them. He is a bendy edge rusher in a tall, long frame, and it is rare for edge rushers to have his height with his ability to bend. Stewart is not a heavy defender, but he has functional strength in the pass rush to fight off blocks. Because his speed is so prevalent in the minds of tackles, it sets him up to catch them by surprise with speed-to-power or a bull rush. It would help him to gain some strength for the NFL, but Stewart is a well-rounded rusher with a variety of moves. His moves could stand further refinement, but they are there for him to attack tackles with a variety of rushes.

In the ground game, Stewart fights hard and defends the run well for being a sub-260-pound defender. He battles hard, and there are plays where he holds his ground well. There are also some plays where he gets pushed back some, so adding strength will help with that at the pro level. Pro tackles will have a weight advantage, so getting stronger and having him rotate out on some run snaps will help him as a pro. Stewart does show some strength to shed and pursue blocks. He also uses his speed to blow up runs in the backfield, and Stewart shows good effort in pursuit. He may never be an elite run defender as a pro, but he will be getting drafted because of his ability to hunt the quarterback.

Stewart looks like a potential star pass rusher in the NFL. He reminds this analyst of a stronger and more physical version of Brian Burns at Florida State, and Burns has turned into an excellent pro after going in the middle of the first round. Stewart could end up being a similar-style pro to Burns.