The Cincinnati Bengals selecting Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft was one big part of the team’s overall draft class earning such mixed reviews in the grades department.

But not every person outside the organization and parts of the fanbase are down on the Stewart pick.

Take, for example, former superstar linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Cincinnati native appeared on Kay Adams’ show recently and made sure to point out that Stewart has best-in-class upside.

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That’s exactly what the Bengals are hoping for, too. Stewart can arrive and fill an almost Sam Hubbard-like role against the run in a rotation. But it’s his Myles Garrett-like measureables that hint at fantastic upside, provided the Bengals can help him realize it.

Kuechly’s entire commentary on the topic are certainly worth a look:

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