Evan Stewart arrived on the Power Five radar as a five-star playmaker and he’s only added to the hype during stops at Texas A&M and Oregon. At 6’0″ and listed around 170–175 pounds, Stewart’s game is built on explosive speed, contested-catch ability and suddenness in space — traits that make him an archetypal modern deep threat and boundary playmaker.
College production & recruiting background
Stewart flashed immediately at Texas A&M as a true freshman, finishing that year with 53 catches for 649 yards. Over his two seasons with the Aggies he totaled 91 catches for 1,163 yards and six TDs before transferring to Oregon, where he posted 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns in the 2024 season. Those numbers show consistent explosiveness and big-play upside across different systems.
A blue-chip recruit out of high school, Stewart was a top national prospect — a five-star on many boards and among the highest-ranked receivers in his class. That pedigree explains why scouts have long coveted his ceiling.
Testing profile & expected combine numbers
Testing reports and draft profiles project elite timed speed for Stewart. Multiple scouting outlets have recorded or cited 40-yard dash times in the low-4.3s (some report a 4.33), and aggregate projections currently place his pro day / combine range roughly between 4.28–4.47, with a likely reported number in the 4.33–4.38 neighborhood in a best-case measurement. Draft databases also list his height/weight at about 6’0″, ~170–175 lbs, which is slender for the NFL but consistent with his play style.
Strengths
- Elite straight-line speed — Stewart’s ability to separate vertically is his calling card. When teams scheme deep shots or need a vertical change-of-pace, he’s the target.
- Explosiveness and burst off the line — he gets into routes quickly and can blow by press or off-coverage defenders, creating big-play opportunities at the snap.
- Big-play production — his college tape shows multiple 50–100+ yard games and a consistent knack for turning short completions into long gains.
- Contested-catch competitiveness — despite a lighter frame, Stewart finds ways to high-point the ball and win contested targets, showing strong body control and ball skills for his size.
Weaknesses / concerns
- Thin frame — durability & contested-traffic questions. At roughly 170–175 pounds, NFL teams will ask whether he can absorb contact on every down and handle physical NFL press coverage. That concern increases if he’s asked to play inside or in heavy slot rotations against bigger slot corners or nickel defenders.
- Injury history / recent injury news. There have been notable medical developments reported: after opting to return to school rather than enter the 2025 draft, Stewart was later reported to have suffered a serious lower-body injury (reports indicated a knee issue that could be significant), which puts at least short-term availability and draft timeline into question. Teams will certainly evaluate recovery details closely.
- Route-tree polish & separation nuance in short-area routes. While elite on verticals and explosive plays, at times Stewart can be less refined as a short-area route runner or as a consistent separator in quick rhythm throws — areas NFL coaches will expect development in.
Player comps
When scouts try to place Stewart, comparisons most commonly point toward receivers who win with speed and contested catch instincts more than overwhelming size. Players who come up as comps include:
- DeVonta Smith–type / Keenan Allen blend (ceilings, not clones): Quickness and contested catch feel combined with the ability to create separation on deeper routes — think of a perimeter receiver who can make contested plays and impact scoring in chunks. (247’s profile previously linked his style to Smith’s contested-ball prowess while acknowledging differences in size.)
- Slot/field-stretching threat like Diontae Johnson or Darnell Mooney at their best: smaller, speed-first playmakers who create big plays downfield and in space, albeit with different strengths in route nuance and blocking. These comps are stylistic signposts — NFL team fit and coaching will determine which path he follows.
Draft outlook & what teams should consider
Stewart profile = high-ceiling, developmental body type. If pre-draft medical evaluations come back clean and he posts a verified low-4.3 (or better) 40, he’s a Day 1 target for teams that weaponize vertical speed and can scheme him into open-field roles (outside vertical sets, RPO stretch plays, and designed deep shots). If durability questions linger or testing is down, he could slide into later rounds as a high-upside rotational piece who can be developed into a reliable boundary threat.
Teams that prioritize immediate, heavy-contact slot work or demand an instant three-down blocker and physical red-zone presence may hesitate — but offenses built around spacing, play-action, and quarterback mobility will view Stewart as a potential game-changing vertical weapon.
Final snapshot
Evan Stewart’s résumé blends five-star recruiting pedigree, consistent college production, and bona fide track-level speed. That package is rare and tantalizing — it explains why he’s widely discussed as a high-ceiling prospect. The two caveats that will ultimately decide his draft position are (1) his ability to add or demonstrate functional mass and route polish for NFL play, and (2) the outcome of recent medical evaluations after the knee/lower-body injury reports. If those check out, Stewart projects as a boundary-caliber playmaker with potential to become a top receiving threat in the right offense.
