2027 NFL Draft: South Carolina's Dylan Stewart delivers dominant performance in return from suspension

• Career-best performance: South Carolina edge defender Dylan Stewart earned a 95.8 PFF overall grade and forced two fumbles against Florida in Week 6.

• Impact against the pass and run: Stewart posted a 92.7 PFF pass-rush grade, an 86.1 run-defense grade and a 23.5% pass-rush win rate across 29 defensive snaps.

• Draft outlook: Despite an injury-disrupted season and a suspension, Stewart owns an 83.7 PFF pass-rush grade and a 22.5% pass-rush win rate through three appearances in 2026.

Click here to subscribe to PFF+ Monthly — $9.99 a month

We're six weeks deep into the 2026 college football season, and several of the nation's top prospects have spent the opening weeks strengthening their cases ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith entered the season as a consensus top prospect and has done little to shake that status. Texas quarterback Arch Manning appears to have made meaningful strides in the areas that previously raised questions about his game. Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore continues to deliver impressive performances but has been targeted just 13 times through five games, which speaks volumes about the respect opposing quarterbacks have for his coverage ability.

For other top prospects, though, the path has been considerably less straightforward.

South Carolina edge defender Dylan Stewart entered the season as a potential top-10 selection, but a preseason back injury and an indefinite suspension following an incident against Alabama in Week 4 have interrupted his campaign.

His return against Florida in Week 6, however, offered a reminder of why he was considered one of the best players in the class.

Stewart earned a 95.8 PFF overall grade, the highest single-game mark of his college career, while forcing two fumbles in a performance that showcased his ability to affect the game both against the run and as a pass-rusher.

One of those forced fumbles came with Florida driving inside the red zone. On a quarterback keeper, Stewart engaged with a pulling left guard before shedding the block to the inside and punching the ball free from the quarterback's grasp.

PURE INSANITY 🤯@Dylan1Stewart_ showed off his INSANE athleticism to get the Gamecocks the ball back off a fumble 🐔🤙 pic.twitter.com/DTBXOLKjtN

— 1801 Media (@1801MediaCo) October 11, 2026

The other came on a strip sack. Aligned on the left side of South Carolina's defensive front, Stewart exploded past the outside shoulder of Florida's right tackle, quickly reaching the quarterback and knocking the ball loose.

It was a reminder of the rare athleticism that makes Stewart such an intriguing NFL prospect. Few edge defenders possess his combination of explosiveness and movement ability, and even while playing on a limited snap count, those traits were on full display.

Oh my wow. What a rush by Dylan Stewart. pic.twitter.com/R7ZIIAWLZO

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) October 10, 2026

Those two plays were instrumental in Stewart's career-best overall grade, but his performance extended beyond the forced fumbles.

He finished with a 92.7 PFF pass-rush grade, the third-highest mark among qualifying Power Four edge defenders in Week 6. He generated two pressures, including the strip sack, across 18 pass-rush snaps while posting a 23.5% pass-rush win rate.

Stewart also earned an 86.1 run-defense grade, further illustrating the impact he made across his 29 defensive snaps.

Power Four Edge Defenders in Week 6

The performance marked a significant turnaround from his previous two appearances. Stewart earned a 66.1 overall grade against Mississippi State in Week 3 before recording a 46.3 mark against Alabama in Week 4.

The Alabama game also resulted in disciplinary action. Stewart was penalized after throwing a punch at tight end Josh Ford's helmet and was involved in arguments with coaches during the loss. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer later announced an indefinite suspension, calling the incident “unacceptable.”

The setback added to an already disrupted season for Stewart, a former freshman All-American and All-SEC selection who missed much of the offseason and multiple games while recovering from a back injury.

Despite those interruptions, Stewart's season-long pass-rush production remains among the better marks in the Power Four.

Through three appearances, he has earned an 83.7 PFF pass-rush grade, ranking 18th among qualifying Power Four edge defenders. His eight pressures across 44 pass-rush snaps have produced an 18.2% pressure rate, while his pass-rush win rate stands at 22.5%.

Those numbers represent a return toward the level Stewart displayed during his standout freshman campaign in 2024, when he earned a 91.4 PFF pass-rush grade that ranked fifth among qualifying Power Four edge defenders. He generated 51 pressures that season, posting a 16.5% pressure rate and a 16.6% pass-rush win rate.

His production dipped in 2025, when his 70.3 pass-rush grade ranked 83rd among qualifying Power Four edge defenders. Stewart finished that season with 37 pressures, a 14.6% pressure rate and a 13.1% pass-rush win rate.

Although his 2026 campaign has been limited to three appearances, his 22.5% pass-rush win rate is comfortably ahead of his marks from either of the previous two seasons.

His return against Florida doesn't erase the difficulties that preceded it, but a career-high grade and two forced fumbles gave him his strongest performance of the season — and a timely reminder of the talent behind his draft projection.

Dive into the data

Dive into the data

See the 2027 NFL Draft Big Board

(opens in new tab) →