Shemar Stewart’s coaches at Texas A&M, the guys who saw him every day in the trenches, saw him do things you don't see every day. And they insist the Bengals are going to see it from day one.

"He's a freak, man," says defensive line coach Tony Jerod-Eddie, who played in the league for six years. "Six-five, 285 pounds, and he had our best get-off on the team, and he was doing it in a two-point stance. It shows you his flexibility and explosion.

After the Bengals took Stewart with the 17^th pick in Thursday night's first round of the NFL Draft, Elijah Robinson was thinking of the amazing things he saw him do in his office. Robinson, now helping Fran Brown revive Syracuse, was at various times in College Station Stewart's position coach, defensive coordinator and head coach.

"Every Sunday, this kid would come in and look at his clips from the game and ask how he could get better. He was his biggest critic," Robinson says. "That's the thing about him. His own biggest critic. Unselfish. Smart. All about family."

Robinson knows because he helped recruit him out of Miami, a Titanic feat in itself.

"Always smiling. Always happy," Robinson says. "Respectful kid."

Christian Sarkisian, the Bengals scout in charge of Texas A&M, saw it for all three years Stewart was there because the Aggies always seem to be loaded up front. Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who went the pick ahead of Stewart at No. 16, began his career there. The Bengals drafted Aggies defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson in last year's third round.

Sarkisian looks at him as a massive chess piece for new defensive coordinator Al Golden, just off winning the national assistant coach of the year at Notre Dame, as well as a worthy running mate for Trey Hendrickson.

"You're pairing the NFL sack leader with the most disruptive player from the best defensive line in the SEC, a coordinator who won the Broyles, and a position coach (Jerry Montgomery) who played a major role in developing Rashan Gary. Great fit for a high ceiling, smart and responsible player with rare power and explosiveness."

Sarkisian saw the influence from the late legendary Terry Price, A&M's D-Line coach who molded them rough and rugged, it seems, just for the AFC North. Just look at Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Baltimore's Justin Madubuike.

"You pay extra attention to the guys who were developed and recruited by him," Sarkisian says.

As for the lack of stats, his coaches can only say wait.

"Shemar isn't enamored with numbers," Jerod-Eddie says, and Robinson would tell him not to worry about the numbers.

In fact. Robinson thinks about the six sacks Nolen racked up as a sophomore before he transferred and wonders how many came from Stewart flying around the edge.

"He affects the quarterback. Sacks get you a new contract, but the guys watching the film, the coordinators, the backers, the DBs, they appreciate how he disrupts the quarterback and getting off the field on third down," Robinson says. "How many times did he affect the quarterback and the next guy got the sack?"

Jerod-Eddie played in 57 games in the league and that included on Justin Smith's defensive line when the former Bengal led the 49ers to as Super Bowl. He says Stewart can play anywhere on an NFL line and dominate.

"When he rushes inside, he'll be way more athletic than (guards)," Jerod-Eddie says. "But he's a true edge rusher who is going to be there for a long time. You guys got a top three pick at 17. Congratulations."