Insider Notes from NFL Combine Day 5: Shemar Stewart's draft stock, Omarion Hampton's rising value, Raiders' QB plans and more

Despite the skill players and quarterbacks working out Saturday, Indianapolis is starting to clear out as general managers and coaches head home. Even with this, there is still plenty of news and rumors floating around downtown.

Shemar Stewart's draft stock

The Olympian workout of Shemar Stewart has a lot of people believing he will end up in the top half of Round 1. Yet why was someone so athletically superior to everyone else on the college field only able to produce 1.5 sacks last season? Teams I’ve spoken with and people close to the Texas A&M program tell me that Stewart is a straight-line athlete who cannot change direction. Some told me his inability to bend off the edge resulted in a lot of missed sacks and lost opportunities when he beat opposing offensive tackles time and time again.

My initial thought after hearing this was Taylor Mays, the athletically gifted safety from USC who himself turned in an Olympic-type workout during the 2010 NFL combine and was selected in the second round of the draft that year by the San Francisco 49ers. Mays had an uninspired NFL career based on the expectations of his athleticism. When I posed this comparison to a league source, he hit me back with one that was much more similar: Vernon Gholston, the sixth pick of the 2008 draft by the New York Jets who amounted to little in the NFL.

Omarion Hampton over Ashton Jeanty?

Keep this in the back of your mind -- some teams have Omarion Hampton rated as the top running back in the draft over Ashton Jeanty. It’s not something I agree with, and it reminds me of reports that a few teams graded Zach Wilson over Trevor Lawrence back in 2021, but it is noteworthy.

LV Raiders' quarterback plans

After losing out on Matthew Stafford, what will the Las Vegas Raiders do next? There are still persistent rumors they may try to trade up for a quarterback in the draft. People close to Sam Darnold tell me that Raiders coach Pete Carroll will work to make a move to acquire the quarterback from the Vikings.

As has been reported elsewhere, Minnesota is seriously considering a tag-and-trade option with Darnold, similar to what the Packers did with Davante Adams just a few years ago before the Raiders acquired the receiver.

Even before all the Stafford and now Darnold rumors to the Raiders started, I heard that the team was seriously considering cutting quarterback Gardner Minshew, who still has guaranteed money in his contract.

Buccaneers' free agency plans

People tell me the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look for defense in the offseason from free agency through the draft. Everyone has pegged them to take an edge rusher at some point, but they also intend on picking up a linebacker. No one expects the team to go crazy in free agency, as the Bucs have a history of taking care of their own first, as we saw a year ago.

The hiring of former Florida/Texas/Louisville head coach Charlie Strong to lead the defensive line has been applauded by many here. The overall belief is that Strong will help elevate the play of Tampa Bay’s pass rushers, most of whom have underachieved in recent seasons.