2026 DRAFT PICK #148: G Beau Stephens

Fresno Hawk

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This draft has been said to be down on talent. However I also been reading this draft was very good on interior OLINE talent. So giving a 4th next year which will most likely be a late 4th is about as even as it could get. Plus we get our potential starter of the future a year early. Win/win imop.
 

danemychal

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...and with Henderson the best Special Teams player in the draft
That might be another Hawkeye, actually. Check the highlights from the only two-time Jet award winner Kaden Wetjen.
 

Glasgow Seahawk

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Great competition for bradford. Probably doesn't bode well for Christian Haynes.

I imagine he doesn't start much this year but Bradford started the year well last year and came into camp focused due to the competition
 

glenwo2

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This will light a fire (once again) under Bradford's fat ass to come in to training camp in shape.
It can light Bradford up all it wants.

You can't teach the ability to have good lateral movement in Pass-Pro when it comes to Bradford.

He stinks at that and I don't see that changing.

The sooner he is off this team (replaced by someone who can pass-protect), the better. #OneMoreSeason
 
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Mike MacDarnold

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It can light Bradford up all it wants.

You can't teach the ability to have good lateral movement in Pass-Pro when it comes to Bradford.

He stinks at that and I don't see that changing.

The sooner he is off this team (replaced by someone who can pass-protect), the better. #OneMoreSeason
He just looks confused and lost for a good amount of snaps. We just need someone who doesn't get outleveraged and moved backwards and he's gone.
 

nwHawk

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Great competition for bradford. Probably doesn't bode well for Christian Haynes.

I imagine he doesn't start much this year but Bradford started the year well last year and came into camp focused due to the competition
IMO, Christian Haynes is a center from here on out. He’s not stout enough to play right guard.
 

Sperrydogg

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I feel that by the time you get into rounds 4-5 and beyond in any year, the picks just tend to go based on scouting preferences and players who can be developed to fit team needs (with the occasional true diamond in the rough), as all of the polished talent has already been drafted by that point.

In normal years, we typically have draft capital that falls somewhere in between next year’s 12 picks and this year’s 4. We knew 4 picks would be too low and couldn’t find the ideal partner to trade for our 1st rounder, so it makes sense to draw from the abundant draft capital next year to bridge the gap.

The choice to get Stephens seems to be inspired by the hope that he could become an eventual starter. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t crack the roster and eventually do so. Well worth spending one of 12 picks next year on.

We still have enough picks next year to package some together for mid-season trade(s) this year or in-draft trades next year to move up.
I appreciate your inside information and your insightful comments but what @oldhawkfan said was not that egregious, actually, I’m glad he made it so now we could finally get to meet Beaus mom
 

Streamhawk

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Good pick. One of the reasons I was annoyed we passed up Dunker was because it seemed like the board felt like it fell perfectly for us getting a quality offensive lineman who fits our system from that program. Glad we made a move to get another.
Wonder if we liked him over Dunker? It’s almost like we must have.
 

chrispy

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Seemed like JS really tried hard to keep John Benton from going with Kubiak. The OL success in '25 showed something changed last off season: maybe Zabel, maybe Benton, maybe something less obvious. Whatever it was, if it pointed toward drafting BigBeau, it's hard to argue against. If the OL improves 5% compared to the improvement last season, it'll be a strength as opposed to, historically, a weakness to be schemed around. I, personally, don't care who the RG is as long as theirs some incremental improvement...either from competition or change in personnel or "time to gel" or whatever. Beau can be a part of that improvement in a number of different ways.
 

MORGULON

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I have been reading this forum for 20+ years and registered for the first time today to tell you how stupid this comment is.

Is it partly because I’m the rare combo of Seahawks and Hawkeyes fan? Yes, that’s part of it. But it’s mostly because this is just a stupid comment regardless of fandom.

You’re gonna learn to love Beau Stephens. Drafting an Iowa O-lineman is one of the safest things a GM can do.
Damn right he is.

I like having your rare combo SEA/IOWA.
We've been waiting for you.

Welcome
 

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