Wearing a resplendent green suit in Green Bay, Shemar Stewart took the stage after being selected 17^th overall and engulfed commissioner Roger Goodell much like the Bengals hope he'll soon be wrapping up quarterbacks.

"I felt like tonight was a great night," Stewart said shortly after he was selected. "I accomplished one of my childhood dreams. All the guys here were very positive with each other and cheering each other on whether they've been picked or not. Just good vibes all around."

There is no defensive end in this year's draft with a better combination of size and athletic ability than Stewart. At 6-5, 270 pounds, he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and broad jumped 10-11. And his competitive edge at Texas A&M earned him the nickname, "The Menace."

"It's the way he conducts himself every day," said Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden. "The way he practices. The way he prepares. A team guy. All of those things. That's the embodiment of what we want."

In his first year as a full-time starter for the Aggies, Stewart finished in the top 40 nationally in quarterback pressures with 39 and earned the fifth-best running stopping grade among edge defenders , according to Pro Football Focus.

But Stewart did not have a high sack total, finishing with 1.5 in each of his three seasons at Texas A&M.

"My first two years I didn't play as much," Stewart said. "And this past year, I was getting there, but at the same time there were technical things about getting to the quarterback that I needed to refine. It's not like I can't get there. I led the team in pressures and we had the best D-line in the SEC in my opinion."

The 21-year-old from Miami knows that skeptics question whether he'll be able to improve his sack total at the NFL level.

"Oh yeah, there's a big chip on my shoulder and it's going to stay there," Stewart said. "I feel like people have overlooked me for too long, and I just have to come in there and prove you all right."

Stewart gives the Bengals a uniquely versatile defensive lineman who lined in a variety of spots up front for Aggies head coach Mike Elko.

"He gives you a chess piece that's really hard to find as a defensive end," said Golden. "We're excited about how to utilize him."

"He did everything he could possibly do at Texas A&M," said Aggies radio voice Andrew Monaco. "I don't want to say that he played out of position, but he got the chance to play inside and outside and understand what his teammates are doing and how they all work in concert up front."

The Athletic's draft analyst Dane Brugler says that Stewart "has a rare combination of talent and motor to be a game-wrecker against both the pass and the run. His best football is ahead of him."

Has Stewart scratched the surface of his potential?

"Not even close," he said. "Trust me. When I get there, it's going to be a scary sight."

He was drafted in the first round to be the type of defensive different-maker that can help get the Bengals back into Super Bowl contention.

"I know you'll are close every year," Shemar said. "You just need a little oomph. I'm here to give you that push across the line. You feel me?"