IOWA CITY, Iowa-- George Barnett has totally transformed Iowa's offensive line and has made it one of the most consistent units in the country. Beau Stephens, one of the nastiest run-maulers in the country, was selected by the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of this past NFL Draft.
It's never easy to have an immediate impact on teams that prove that they are among the best in football. Stephens might have a rare opportunity to emerge as someone that can become a reliable contributor immediately. ESPN's Field Yates suggested that Stephens was one of the best day two/three steals of the draft.
"Defending Super Bowl Champs don't have many weaknesses, but interior offensive line was a position group the Seahawks wanted to address. I had a fourth-round grade on Stephens, who went early in Round 5, and he should be a hand-in-glove fit for Seattle's heavy-zone-run scheme.
Like many Iowa offensive linemen, Stephens is fundamentally sound. He strikes with a good base supporting him, deftly uses leverage and moves his feet extremely well. I think Stephens can push for starting right guard Anthony Bradford's spot."
Stephens was a weight room freak during his time as a Hawkeye. His constant violence at the point of attack and ability to gain leverage was a scary combination for any defender that had to square off against him. Stephens started the final two seasons and was a key cog in turning around a position group that struggled just a few short years ago.
He was the highest-graded Iowa offensive lineman in pass protection, allowing just four pressures and no sacks in his final season. Stephens was was named First-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches. Stephens made the Associated Press, USA Today, and PFF First-Team All-America list; Sporting News and The Athletic second-team All-America list.
The former Hawkeye turned Seahawk will be reunited with former Iowa offensive lineman Mason Richman, which is something that he's excited about.
"It's going to be nice to stay a Hawk," Stephens said via NFL.com. "I've got my boy, Mason Richman, up there, and my visit up there was awesome. I loved (offensive line coach John) Benton. It was just a cool place. I knew it was going to be a right fit for me."
Kirk Ferentz and his staff have constantly churned out NFL caliber talent despite not getting all of the four or five star talent. That's the type of mentality that has helped give them an upper-hand when they are at the highest-level.
"You're going to get a mauler in the run game, technical in the pass game," he said. "I love going to hit, I'm not one to shy away from contact, for sure. Overall, just a professional person, a person that takes things seriously. A guy that's from Iowa who's always considered an underdog, who always has that chip on the shoulder. The hay is never in the barn is what coach (Kirk) Ferentz says. That's just the kind of mentality Iowa culture has, and what I've embodied."
Iowa offensive linemen in the NFL have been one of the cornerstones of the Ferentz era. Stephens has a big opportunity to continue writing that story.
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