Dylan Stewart LB/EDGE South Carolina |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #6 PLAY STYLE: EDGE OLB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.60 seconds (79%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #6 | |
| PLAY STYLE: EDGE OLB | |
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.60 seconds (79%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
91.1 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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72% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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58% |
| Pass Rush: |
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91% |
| Run Defense: |
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80% |
| Coverage: |
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60% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Top 5
Overall Rank:
#3
Position rank:
#2 (LB)
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| College Games: 29 College Snaps: 1137 | ||
ESPN RATING: 90/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Will Anderson Jr. - Alabama |
|
80% |
| Mason Reiger - Wisconsin |
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69% |
| Que Robinson - Alabama |
|
65% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Dylan Stewart had 16 sacks as a junior at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C., was rated a five-star edge rusher and played in the 2024 Under Armour All-America Game before signing with South Carolina.He made an immediate impact, with 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his college debut, and earned FWAA Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman honors in 2024. In 2025 he played 11 of 12 games through a back injury, finishing with 12 stops behind the line and three forced fumbles, and the SEC named him to its second team. On 23 December he said he was staying at South Carolina for 2026 instead of entering the portal.
The back sidelined him through spring drills and the first two games of 2026. In his second game back, at Alabama on 26 September, he punched tight end Josh Ford in the helmet in the fourth quarter and had a sideline confrontation with coaches. Shane Beamer suspended him indefinitely, the SEC and South Carolina then issued a one-game suspension, and commissioner Greg Sankey warned that any further misconduct would bring more severe discipline. He missed the overtime loss to Kentucky.
Stewart returned at Florida on 10 October with five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles in a 38-19 win. He forced another fumble in the 27-24 win over Tennessee and had four hurries in the 42-25 win at Oklahoma, giving him three forced fumbles in five games.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Long, explosive edge with the get-off to threaten the corner on every rush
- Two forced fumbles and a sack in his return at Florida
- Has forced nine fumbles in three seasons, three of them this year
- Generated 52 pressures as a freshman, a rare total for his age
- Stout against the run, setting the edge with length and leverage
- Length lets him stack tackles and disengage to make plays
- Four hurries in the win at Oklahoma on 31 October
- Forced a key fumble in the 27-24 win over Tennessee
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Punched an Alabama tight end and was suspended for a game
- Back injury cost him spring practice and the first two games of 2026
- Penalties keep piling up, with five flags in five games this season
Scouting Report: Summary
Stewart is a long, explosive edge rusher with the bend and get-off of a top-ten pick, and he has produced disruption since the day he arrived. His college debut brought 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, he finished his freshman year with 52 pressures, and he has forced nine fumbles in three seasons. He plays the run with discipline rather than living purely as a rusher, and when he is healthy and locked in he can take over a game. Few edge rushers in the country create as many loose balls.His return from suspension showed that version. At Florida he had five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles in a 38-19 win, then forced a fumble that helped South Carolina hold off Tennessee and added four hurries in the 42-25 road win over Oklahoma. In three games since the suspension he has looked like the player who was a preseason All-American, and South Carolina has won all three.
However, the questions around him have grown in 2026. A back injury he played through in 2025 cost him spring practice and the first two games, and at Alabama he punched tight end Josh Ford in the helmet and clashed with coaches on the sideline, earning a one-game suspension and a warning from the SEC that further misconduct would bring tougher discipline. Officials have also flagged him five times in five games, his tackling finish wobbles, and his rush plan still leans on length more than on a sequenced counter.
Overall, Stewart has the traits of a top-ten edge, and the Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma games are the version teams want to see every week. Teams will dig hard into the back and the Alabama incident before draft day. He projects as a first-round edge with a starter's floor, and if the composure and health hold he can still finish as one of the first defenders off the board.
Update - 11/03/2026
Stewart missed the first two games with a back injury, then served a one-game suspension from the school and the SEC for punching an Alabama tight end on 26 September. Since returning he has had a sack and two forced fumbles in the 38-19 win at Florida, earning SEC co-defensive lineman of the week, and a late strip-sack that set up the game-sealing turnover against Tennessee.
How other scouting services rate Dylan Stewart (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
4.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
2.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.