Steelers select OT Kelvin Beachum in 7th round
With their final pick in the 7th round (they had 4 of them), the Steelers selected Kelvin Beachum, an offensive tackle from SMU.
Kelvin Beachum was a 4-year starter at SMU. He started all 4 years at left tackle.
What’s particularly impressive is that Beachum was able to start as a freshman at a position that is as important as left tackle.
What makes his accomplishment even more impressive is that SMU was a pass-oriented offense. So the tackle position was critical to their success.
Beachum was recognized for his performance by being named First Team Conference USA as a senior.
Kelvin Beachum
Standing only 6’3″, Beachum is considered short by offensive tackle standards.
He’s not particularly strong. At times he struggled to generate a good push on his man. His lack of arm strength was further demonstrated when he was only able to bench press 19 times at the NFL Scouting Combine. I’m not a fan of the Combine, but in this case, his combine results reflect his on-field performance.
Besides his height problem, he also has short arms and only average foot quickness. That will probably prevent him from playing tackle at the pro level. That’s why many are projecting that he’ll have to be moved inside to guard if he’s to make it in the NFL.
Beachum is definitely a project. But he’s young, and he has time to develop.
Welcome to the Steelers, kid. We look forward to seeing you at training camp.
