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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Dylan Stewart

EDGE · South Carolina · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #3·33 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
Revised preseason edition · September 12, 20264 min readReport role: EDGE · South Carolina

Master scouting report

Stewart can force a tackle to hurry before either player makes contact. His first step and ability to bend toward the quarterback give the rush an immediate threat; the next question is what happens when the tackle survives that opening. The answer involves hand sequencing and run responsibility, not simply adding more speed to an already explosive player.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01From early impact to a larger role

South Carolina lists 24 appearances and 22 starts across Stewart’s first two seasons. He started 11 of 13 games in 2024, producing 23 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In 2025 he started all 11 games he played, with 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The school credits him with three forced fumbles in each season. That is substantial starting experience for a young edge defender, but the change in sack totals alone cannot establish whether his rush technique improved or declined. The technical evaluations provide the more useful explanation of his development.

02Winning the corner—and the next exchange

Forness describes a rusher who can lower his shoulder beneath a tackle’s punch, slip the contact with a ghost move and flatten his path toward the passer. Those details matter together: beating the outside shoulder is useful only if Stewart can turn that advantage into a direct route to the quarterback. Forness also identifies reliance on the ghost move. A tackle prepared for that entry can make the next hand exchange decisive. Emery sees a swim move used too often, alongside flashes of speed converted into power. Different opening moves across a sample do not necessarily amount to a connected counter plan. The development question is whether Stewart can answer a blocker’s successful first response without stopping his rush.

03Why the run-defense verdict is mixed

Forness credits patient reads, control of read-option responsibilities and resistance against a single blocker. That supports a more favorable view of Stewart’s ability to remain useful when an offense runs toward him. Emery’s Missouri, Alabama and Texas A&M study is less forgiving: he identifies eye-discipline and containment problems, elevated pads and plays where added strength would help. Those are different concerns from lacking effort. They describe how an aggressive first movement can leave Stewart vulnerable when the ball or blocker changes the assignment. Campbell lands between those views, describing good effort and examples of holding ground alongside displacement that still requires strength development. The combined reading is an edge with credible run-defense flashes whose reliability remains disputed, rather than a uniform weakness or a finished strength.

04Movement can help the rush

Emery highlights Stewart’s acceleration on inside stunts and sees value in moving him beyond a predominantly left-side defensive-end assignment. That gives a coordinator another way to use his burst: alter the point of attack and make the protection exchange him between blockers. It should complement the work on counters, however; a favorable moving start does not settle how he handles a stationary tackle who gets hands on his chest.

05What a more complete rep looks like

Lundberg’s emphasis on counters, hand sequencing and run consistency links the separate development points. Stewart needs an opening threat, a response when that threat is contained, and enough control to remain in the play after contact. The useful improvement would be a rush that stays active through the second exchange while his edge responsibility survives changes in the backfield. Simply collecting more spectacular first steps would leave the hardest part of the evaluation unanswered.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • His speed can force an early protection response and open room for inside attacks or power.

  • The ability to dip and flatten lets him threaten a shorter route around the tackle.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • Hand sequencing must sustain the rush when the first move fails.

  • Strength and assignment control remain uneven across the published evaluations.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

An attacking edge role with selected inside movement offers the clearest use of Stewart’s current tools. His speed can stress the tackle’s set, then create opportunities to cross inside or introduce power. A broader down-to-down assignment should depend on repeatable resistance and disciplined run execution, not on treating his most impressive rushes as proof that every part of the job is settled.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Stewart’s attraction is the pressure he can place on a blocker immediately. His next step is to make that threat survive contact and remain compatible with the run assignment. Evaluate the second exchange and the controlled rep as closely as the spectacular get-off; those are the plays that can turn an exciting rush profile into a more complete role.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Synthesis of published evaluations of 2024–25 college play, reviewed September 12. This edition does not evaluate 2026 games or claim new Draftanomics film study.

Edition reviewed September 12, 2026. Connects rush tools to counters and alignment; restores the documented disagreement over run discipline and strength.

The original August edition remains preserved. This is a revised Draftanomics assessment, with supporting sources attached to each statement.

View the 5 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for overview
  1. House assessment

    Stewart can force a tackle to hurry before either player makes contact. His first step and ability to bend toward the quarterback give the rush an immediate threat; the next question is what happens when the tackle survives that opening.

  2. House assessment

    The answer involves hand sequencing and run responsibility, not simply adding more speed to an already explosive player.

Sources for from early impact to a larger role
  1. Reported fact

    South Carolina lists 24 appearances and 22 starts across Stewart’s first two seasons. He started 11 of 13 games in 2024, producing 23 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In 2025 he started all 11 games he played, with 33 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The school credits him with three forced fumbles in each season.

  2. House assessment

    That is substantial starting experience for a young edge defender, but the change in sack totals alone cannot establish whether his rush technique improved or declined. The technical evaluations provide the more useful explanation of his development.

Sources for winning the corner—and the next exchange
  1. House assessment

    Forness describes a rusher who can lower his shoulder beneath a tackle’s punch, slip the contact with a ghost move and flatten his path toward the passer. Those details matter together: beating the outside shoulder is useful only if Stewart can turn that advantage into a direct route to the quarterback. Forness also identifies reliance on the ghost move. A tackle prepared for that entry can make the next hand exchange decisive.

  2. House assessment

    Emery sees a swim move used too often, alongside flashes of speed converted into power. Different opening moves across a sample do not necessarily amount to a connected counter plan. The development question is whether Stewart can answer a blocker’s successful first response without stopping his rush.

Sources for why the run-defense verdict is mixed
  1. House assessment

    Forness credits patient reads, control of read-option responsibilities and resistance against a single blocker. That supports a more favorable view of Stewart’s ability to remain useful when an offense runs toward him.

  2. House assessment

    Emery’s Missouri, Alabama and Texas A&M study is less forgiving: he identifies eye-discipline and containment problems, elevated pads and plays where added strength would help. Those are different concerns from lacking effort. They describe how an aggressive first movement can leave Stewart vulnerable when the ball or blocker changes the assignment.

  3. House assessment

    Campbell lands between those views, describing good effort and examples of holding ground alongside displacement that still requires strength development. The combined reading is an edge with credible run-defense flashes whose reliability remains disputed, rather than a uniform weakness or a finished strength.

Sources for movement can help the rush
  1. House assessment

    Emery highlights Stewart’s acceleration on inside stunts and sees value in moving him beyond a predominantly left-side defensive-end assignment. That gives a coordinator another way to use his burst: alter the point of attack and make the protection exchange him between blockers. It should complement the work on counters, however; a favorable moving start does not settle how he handles a stationary tackle who gets hands on his chest.

Sources for what a more complete rep looks like
  1. House assessment

    Lundberg’s emphasis on counters, hand sequencing and run consistency links the separate development points. Stewart needs an opening threat, a response when that threat is contained, and enough control to remain in the play after contact. The useful improvement would be a rush that stays active through the second exchange while his edge responsibility survives changes in the backfield. Simply collecting more spectacular first steps would leave the hardest part of the evaluation unanswered.

Sources for explosive edge entry
  1. House assessment

    His speed can force an early protection response and open room for inside attacks or power.

Sources for flexible rush path
  1. House assessment

    The ability to dip and flatten lets him threaten a shorter route around the tackle.

Sources for connected counters
  1. House assessment

    Hand sequencing must sustain the rush when the first move fails.

Sources for run consistency
  1. House assessment

    Strength and assignment control remain uneven across the published evaluations.

Sources for role and deployment
  1. House assessment

    An attacking edge role with selected inside movement offers the clearest use of Stewart’s current tools. His speed can stress the tackle’s set, then create opportunities to cross inside or introduce power. A broader down-to-down assignment should depend on repeatable resistance and disciplined run execution, not on treating his most impressive rushes as proof that every part of the job is settled.

Sources for the decision
  1. House assessment

    Stewart’s attraction is the pressure he can place on a blocker immediately. His next step is to make that threat survive contact and remain compatible with the run assignment. Evaluate the second exchange and the controlled rep as closely as the spectacular get-off; those are the plays that can turn an exciting rush profile into a more complete role.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#3
Position rank
EDGE1
Contributing sources
33
Movement since prior snapshot
Up 1

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Defense
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Total tackles2333†
Solo tackles1718
Tackles for loss10.512†
Sacks6.54.5†
Passes defended12
QB hurries4†8†
Defensive TD00

† Updated from school records · checked September 12, 2026. Unmarked figures are from the retained dataset.

Sources & updated totals

Dylan Stewart – University of South Carolina Athletics · 2024 and 2025 season biographies.

  • 2024 QB hurries: 4 in the official record; 3 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2025 Total tackles: 33 in the official record; 31 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2025 Tackles for loss: 12 in the official record; 11.5 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2025 Sacks: 4.5 in the official record; 4 in the earlier dataset.
  • 2025 QB hurries: 8 in the official record; 6 in the earlier dataset.
Earlier dataset & evidence notes · September 3, 2026
Defense
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Total tackles2331
Solo tackles1718
Tackles for loss10.511.5
Sacks6.54
Passes defended12
QB hurries36
Defensive TD00

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of defense production (2024–2025).
  • Defense tackles increased in each observed season (23 → 31).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 33 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #3.
  • The aggregate public rank rose 1 spot between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'5"
Listed weight
250 lb
Class
Junior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
South Carolina
Former school
Not in dataset
Hometown
Washington, DC
Jersey
#6
Recruiting stars
5-star
Recruiting rank
#15 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Reviewed college totals: South Carolina Athletics · checked September 12, 2026.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.