In the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected former Texas A&M edge defender Shemar Stewart. Before the draft, we went on record that Stewart was a guy we were scared to draft and not a guy we would spend a first-round pick on.

Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart was present but not practicing on the first day of rookie minicamp on Friday. That's not too unusual. Despite the rookie wage scale, finer contractual details can (and currently are) holding up plenty of first-round picks from signing deals around the league right now.

The Cincinnati Bengals have not yet been able to get first-round pick Shemar Stewart on the field. The Bengals used the 17th pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Stewart in hopes that he can bolster their defensive line.