NFL Draft
2/11/25
5 min read
Josaiah Stewart 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Michigan Wolverines EDGE
Height: 6006 (verified)
Weight: 248lbs (verified)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: TBD
Scouting Overview
Michigan Wolverines edge defender Josaiah Stewart projects as a rotational pass rusher at the NFL level. Stewart does have the ceiling of a starting edge defender in the right environment. He should be considered a developmental starter in addition to his readiness immediately as a designated pass rusher.
He offers hidden power through his frame, thanks to his compact build and sufficient length to play up and through tackles, and is well-developed with pass rush counters that will have him ready to contribute on long and late downs quickly in the NFL.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Offers natural leverage and ability to convert speed to power thanks to his compact frame
- Accentuated hands and rush counters that amplify effectiveness and clear his frame from punches
- Offers good athleticism on the edge to play in space or attack as an unblocked player
Negatives
- Does not boast an ideal anchor for handling vertical run scheme
- Offers just a modest ability to deconstruct blocks and play into adjacent gaps on the edge
- Can get kicked and displaced against pullers and power schemes in the run game
Background
Stewart is from Bronx, NY, and played high school football for Everett HS. There, he was a tight end and defensive end who was ranked as a 3-star recruit (247 Sports). He committed to Coastal Carolina as a member of their 2021 recruiting class. As a freshman in 2021, Stewart broke the school record for sacks (12.5) and was named an FWAA Freshman All-American and First Team All-Sun Belt. In 2022, Stewart started 11 of 12 games and was named Second Team All-Sun Belt for his play.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Stewart entered the transfer portal ranked as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports). He landed with Michigan and played in 15 games as a junior. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and helped the Wolverines to a National Championship. His final season of play (2024) saw Stewart named a team captain, and he was named Second Team All-Big Ten.
Stewart accepted an invitation to participate in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Tale Of The Tape
Stewart is a savvy, slippery pass rusher who poses challenges to opposing tackles, thanks to his small strike zone and low pads. He is capable of winning with speed and first-step quickness but also offers several well-developed pass-rush counters that will shed hands off of his frame and allow him to press onward to the quarterback.
As a pass rusher, Stewart is capable of winning with speed to power, long-arm, chops, clubs, rips, ghost rushes, swims, and swipes. It’s an impressive resume of counters, and he’ll tap them into his rush seamlessly and with a full range of motion of his shoulders to help accentuate his moves.
This allows him to play under and through the hands of tackles and carry momentum through close quarters. Stewart is a high-motor rusher who does well on the second-effort rushes and when the quarterback flushes his launch point to chase down the passer outside the pocket.
Stewart has above-average traits to play on the edge. He’s got good pop, first-step quickness, bend, and length. But he’s not winning with a prime physical attribute; instead, he blends a lot of “good” skills with a sharp mind for rushing the passer. Tackles that can match his “good” traits with “great” traits can pose a challenge, especially if they boast the kind of anchor and strength to play through his low center of gravity.
Against the run, Stewart is a capable penetration defender. His first-step quickness, particularly from wide angles, allows him to win up the field and then crash to the ball carrier. However, he’s a leaner frame that doesn’t offer the kind of pure mass to squat and anchor in gap control and edge-setting opportunities.
He’s struggled to hold ground against pullers and can be guilty of getting stuck on blocks from tackles or tight ends along the perimeter. As a result, he’ll be best implemented away from playing as a 5-tech or overtop of tackles — he’d benefit from having angles built into his framing of the edge.
Stewart is athletic enough to take some shallow hook drops in pressure situations and can help flip the coverage strength off the line of scrimmage. This should complement his passing down value as a pass rusher. He’s not overly flexible in space, and his hip fluidity should be considered sufficient to drop here. His transitions are aided by a low center of gravity thanks to his compact frame.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Stewart projects as a rush linebacker in an odd-front defense. With his depth of pass-rush counters, he’s likely to serve as a rotational pass rusher early in his career, but he should be afforded the chance to develop his run-defending prowess over the course of his rookie contract.
Grade: 75.50/100.00, Third Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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