ArDarius Stewart has been one of the more underrated parts of the Alabama offense over the last couple of years.
This past season, Stewart managed to put of 54 receptions for 864 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. His 16 yards per catch was a substantial improvement over his 11.1 yards per catch that he managed to put up back in 2015.
When turning on the game tape, it’s clear that Stewart has the size, speed and athleticism to make an impact for an NFL team. Here’s our scouting report on the former quarterback from Fultondale, Ala.
Position: Wide Receiver
Hometown: Fultondale, Alabama
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 204-pounds
Projected 40-time: 4.45
Projected Round: 3rd Round
STRENGTHS:
Alabama used Stewart in a variety of ways the last two seasons. He’s an explosive athlete who can create with the ball in his hands. One of the most impressive parts of Stewart’s game is his ability to create yardage after the catch.
He shows good field awareness, and his vision as a runner is extremely impressive. When he sees an opening on sweeps or screens, he has the acceleration to explode through it — splitting opposing defenders in the process. Stewart has the ability to find the soft spots in zone coverage, and that provides him with more creases to exploit.
Another strength for Stewart is his catch radius. Over the course of his career, he consistently showed that he can bring the football in from a variety of catch points. Combine this with his ability to make people miss, and that makes Stewart a threat from anywhere on the football field.
Stewart isn’t the most efficient blocker in the run game, but he does show the willingness to get his hands dirty and create holes for teammates. He might have been the most physical blocking receiver on the team last season.
WEAKNESSES:
Stewart really needs to continue to work on refining his route running. He can be a little sloppy out of his breaks, and that can sometimes prevent him from being able to create separation against defensive backs.
Another thing that Stewart will need to continue working on in the NFL is getting north and south. He’s an electric player with the ball in his hands, but that doesn’t always mean results. At times, he tries to create too much on his own which puts him in a poor position to create yardage.
Focus drops are also something that Stewart is going to need to clean up. He only dropped three footballs this past season, but they were all very catchable. Stewart’s drop rate isn’t high or anything, but he does need to continue to work on bringing in the easy ones.
CONCLUSION:
Stewart is going to be an excellent value addition on draft day. He isn’t expected to hear his name get called until somewhere in the third to fourth round range. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t make an immediate impact for an NFL team.
Stewart should instantly help on special teams while also producing as a team’s third or fourth option at wide receiver. Offensive coordinators will be able to get creative in how they use Stewart early on.
There is some concern on whether Stewart can consistently win against man coverage, and that is something that he is going to have to prove if he wants to become a complete receiver on the next level.
Clint Lamb is a columnist for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on Twitter @ClintRLamb.
