Brian Gutekunst is no stranger to rolling the dice on projects with high upside in the NFL Draft. Fortunately, the Cincinnati Bengals stole a potential first-round candidate from the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers undoubtedly would've had Texas A&M pass-rusher Shemar Stewart on their radar. He lacked college production, having made only 4.5 sacks in three seasons, but offered All-Pro upside and elite athleticism. Green Bay hosted Stewart for a Top 30 visit.
Cincinnati selected Stewart six selections before Gutekunst could take another draft-day gamble, but it's for the best.
As FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz reported this week, Stewart is skipping the second phase of the Bengals' offseason program "due to a disagreement over contract language in his rookie deal." Not ideal.
Stewart, like the pass-rusher he will potentially replace, Trey Hendrickson, has immediately run into a contract dispute.
It's a headache the Packers thankfully avoided. They instead landed Matthew Golden, who can give Matt LaFleur's offense everything it needs to reach the next level.
Packers can thank Bengals for drafting Shemar Stewart before they had the chance
Would Gutekunst have selected Stewart if he fell to No. 23? We may never know, but it seems likely the Texas A&M star would've been on his board.
Stewart didn't generate many sacks in college but has the athleticism the Packers covet, and he dominated at the Senior Bowl. That's two ingredients Gutekunst looks for. Green Bay previously drafted Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness in the first round, who were both considered projects and needed development at the NFL level.
The Packers hosted Stewart before the draft, a clear sign of their interest.
Gutekunst has a recent track record of tipping his hand with Top 30 visits. This year, the Packers drafted four players they hosted for visits (Golden, Anthony Belton, Savion Williams, and Micah Robinson), and they signed Taylor Elgersma after the draft.
In 2024, they selected three of their visitors (Edgerrin Cooper, Ty'Ron Hopper, and Kitan Oladapo) before signing Donovan Jennings.
There's a good chance Stewart would've been in consideration had he fallen far enough. Thankfully, the Bengals saved the Packers from a potential nightmare.