Cardinals projected to take South Carolina edge rusher in 2027 NFL mock draft

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner projects the Arizona Cardinals going defense with their first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Baumgardner mocked South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart to the Cardinals with the No. 7 pick, behind Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, whom he projected going to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 4.

The class’ most athletic defender, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Stewart has an NFL-ready combination of speed, burst, length, agility and power. He moves like a small forward on a basketball court.

In five games this season, Stewart has registered 13 total tackles with two sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. In his 30-game career with the Gamecocks, he has 69 tackles, 13 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles.

Stewart is listed as the second-best edge rusher and ninth-best draft prospect on ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest draft rankings.

Stewart’s history of on-field incidents at South Carolina

While his physical traits make him a top draft prospect, Stewart’s on-field incidents over the course of his college career do raise some red flags.

Stewart was suspended for one game following several incidents in a game against Alabama on Sept. 26, including punching an Alabama player and arguing with his coaches.

Last season, Stewart was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct in a game against Vanderbilt after shoving a player.

During his freshman season, Stewart was penalized for a gun gesture celebration after sacking Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

South Carolina Edge #6 Dylan Stewart Multiple Red Flags 2027 NFL Draft: 🚩 Gun Gesture standing over Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (2024) 🚩 Shoves opponent vs. Vanderbilt (2025) Ejected for Unsportsmanlike Conduct 🚩 Refusal to come out of the game (see video below) vs. Alabama (2026) 🚩”Blow to the head” Personal Foul Penalty vs. Alabama (2026)

— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) September 27, 2026

Should the Cardinals consider drafting Stewart?

Stewart would be the third first-round defensive lineman taken by Arizona in four years. The Cardinals selected Darius Robinson in 2024 and Walter Nolen III in 2025, who have both shown flashes but have been plagued by injuries during their NFL careers.

The Cardinals also selected defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor in the fourth round in this year’s draft. Proctor suffered a torn meniscus during OTAs and was placed on the injured reserve, ending his rookie season before it started.

Through nine games, the Cardinals are 16th in the NFL in sacks with 19. Safety Budda Baker leads the team with 3.5 sacks, and edge rusher Josh Sweat is second with two. Sweat, who was not moved at the trade deadline after both defenders were in trade rumors, has had a down season after registering 12 sacks in 2025.

Edge rusher could be a position of need for the Cardinals as veterans Baron Browning and Zaven Collins are set to be free agents after this season.

While edge rusher could be addressed in the first round, quarterback, wide receiver, offensive line and cornerback appear to be more pressing needs for the Cardinals.

Quarterback could be the biggest need to address, as the Cardinals traded veteran Jacoby Brissett last week and Gardner Minshew was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with an elbow injury. Rookie Carson Beck, whom the Cardinals drafted in the third round, is in line to make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

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