Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart continues to get work with the first-team defense at training camp, partially due to injuries on the depth chart around him.
Stewart got first-team reps over the last few days after Joseph Ossai came up limping after a practice rep, per Fox 19’s Gabi Sorrentino.
Tack on Trey Hendrickson’s holdout and them bringing back Cam Sample slowly from his injury and Stewart gets first-team work. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told Geoff Hobson that it was only a matter of time, regardless.
“I think that will happen over time,” Taylor said, per Hobson. “It’s happened situationally with some of our rush packages, but I think this is the week we can really start being flexible on moving guys around and taking a look at different pairings.”
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On paper, Stewart will sit behind Ossai and Hendrickson in rotation, as well as former first-rounder Myles Murphy.
That said, Stewart’s unique blend of size and athleticism, plus his proven ability to stop the run in college, will let him get reps inside and all over the line, much like he did in his preseason debut.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart gets first-team reps after injury news
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
