Harmon: "A Disruptive Force"

He's shaping up to be a DL leader. Good game against the Colts. It's important for this defense that he can stack these kinds of games:

 

I will admit to cracking a beer when the Bengals selected Shemar Stewert once Grant went off the board.

 

Stewart right now is a Page 5 DE. Only played in four games and is the lowest ranked Bengals DE on a bad Bengals defense. Serious bust potential.

 

I wouldn't write off Shemar Stewart just yet.


Rashan Gary, Odafe Oweh and Trayvon Walker. All three had similar issues in terms of polish like Stewart coming out of Michigan, Penn State and Georgia respectively. All three are either beginning to figure it out in Owehs case or have figured it out in the case of both Gary and Walker.


Don't undersell the impact of traits and tools when it comes to EDGE Players. How Pittsburgh has developed EDGE Players is very unorthodox compared to other teams. Even among 3-4 OLBs, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer are as oddball players as one can get. That said, Herbig has started level potential as an EDGE while Sawyer is becoming a rock solid rotational piece.



In short?! Shemar is going to need time to develop. Let us not forget it took Bud Dupree nearly four seasons to do so. Shemar could take until at least 2027 to do so.

 

Derrick Harmon should have been a Top 15 Selection at worst and a Top 10 Selection at best. Pittsburgh committed high way robbery when they selected him. I still stand by my statements on what I said during my final wrote up about him in terms of consistency but he was the most versatile among the likes of Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham and Walter Nolen.



Once he learns how to consistently gain leverage and finish plays?! He is a Perennial Pro Bowler at worst to a potential Perennial All Pro at best.

 

As with the rest of the Steeler players they all have a problem STACKING quality performances.
Harmon is no different. Although he gets a a slight pass because of his rookie status. I would rather
have players that play with passion and urgency week in week out, Doesn't anyone want to be great?

 

Stewart was definitely a project, but it is definitely concerning for Bengals fans with how out of place he looks on the field. Dupree was a big project as well, but he still finished with 4 sacks, 26 tackles (17 solo tackles), and 4 TFL. He did this over 5 starts and appearing in 16 games. Stewart has appeared in 5 games (4 starts) and has 0 sacks, 6 tackles, (2 solo), and 0 TFL. He's doing this while a lot of tape where he is getting manhandled (though there are certainly good reps on tape too). He has a lot of figuring out to do though. I agree that you shouldn't write a "project" pick off halfway through his rookie year... but there hasn't been a lot of "good" for the Bengals fans to point to so far. I'd be worried about him if I was a Bengals fan for sure. Gotta trust the process... but still it would be worrisome.

 

Fair enough.


As far as pure production comparisons, Stewart definitley gets beat in terms of his overall lack of production from college to the pros versus the aforementioned. However, remember that Texas A&M asks their EDGE Players to do some very.... intriguing assignments. Shemar still doesn't get a pass here but deliberately limiting an EDGE as both gifted and talented as him doesn't help either.


You also make a good indirect point about the Bengals. Other than Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and for a time in Justin Smith (49ers Legend now but he was a Bengal at one point in time in his career), Cincys track record of developing EDGE Players has been average at best to very disappointing at worst.


I still believe that, despite this, Shemar still can develop. How long though will be a good question. Time will tell on that one.