Josaiah Stewart reminds Wink Martindale of this five-time Pro Bowler on the Baltimore Ravens

Speaking on In The Trenches this week, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale compared Josaiah Stewart to a player that Wink knows all too well from his coaching days with the Baltimore Ravens:

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale joined Jon Jansen this week on the In The Trenches podcast and gave great insights on Michigan Wolverines that are still with the program, but also guys who are departing for the NFL.

One of the under-the-radar prospects in the NFL Draft this year may be Michigan edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. He led the Wolverines in sacks (8.5) in 2024 and also had 33 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

While he may not be picked in the first couple of rounds, Martindale believes Stewart will be a star wherever he gets drafted. He even went as far to compare Stewart to a player he coached for a handful of years in the NFL.

“I definitely know (Stewart) is going to translate (to the NFL) because of his power,” Martindale said. “That’s what people don’t realize is the power the kid plays with. There’s reasons why he won’t go as high as (Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant) — it’s his size and speed. You can’t coach it. Now when they get into whatever rounds he gets drafted in, that’s what’ll jump out for him is ‘Look at this guy, he’s productive, he’s violent, and he knows how to get to the quarterback.’ And the biggest thing with him is he knows how to finish when he gets there. I tell scouts he doesn’t have quite the arm length of Elvis Dumervil, but that’s who he reminds me of is the way he finishes at the quarterback. Elvis Dumervil had a great professional career.”

A “great professional career” is spot on. By the time his 11-year playing career was done, Dumervil was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All Pro. He also led the NFL in sacks in 2009 with 17. All in all, he compiled 365 career tackles, 84 tackles for loss, 105.5 sacks, 190 quarterback hits, 23 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, 14 pass deflections and one interception.

But the NFL didn’t come easy for Dumervil. From the time the Denver Broncos drafted him in 2006, Dumervil faced an uphill battle because he was only 5-foot-11. Not many edge rushers — not many NFL players in general — can have the success at his size. However, he was able to still give opposing offensive linemen problems not only because of his aforementioned arm length, but because of the power he had. He may have only been 5-foot-11 at the NFL Combine , but he also weighed in at 257 pounds.

Stewart (6-foot-1, 249 pounds) is a bit taller and around the same weight as Dumervil, but if he is to succeed like Dumervil did in the NFL, he will have to use his strength to his advantage, according to Martindale.

“It’s gonna be challenging for (Stewart) because of the tackles that he’s gonna go against — they do have the arm length, so he’s gonna have to work through that and still rely on (his) power,” Martindale said. “That’s the No. 1 thing (he has). He has the speed, he can get off the ball and play like a (Dwight) Freeney, if you will, those type of guys, but his power is what offensive tackles aren’t ready for. As he gets them going backwards and he converts it to power, that’s a problem for anyone.”

You can see some of what Martindale is talking about on display in the video below, and especially at the 15-second mark against MSU when Stewart overpowers the offensive tackle and gets to the quarterback with ease. He also does a great job around the 27-second mark to blow up a chipping player to get to the running back.

Stewart certainly has the pass rush moves, the speed and the strength to succeed, but can all of that translate to the professional level against bigger and better players? Only time will tell, but he certainly has Wink’s stamp of approval.

What round do you think Stewart will be drafted in next month? And do you think he will be a good player in the NFL? Let us know down in the comments below!