Pittsburgh Steelers fans were ecstatic on Tuesday when it was reported that the team was hosting Olaivavega Ioane for a pre-draft visit. 'Vega' is considered the top guard prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and landing the Penn State star would be a win for Omar Khan and the front office.
But a lesser-known guard also joined Ioane in Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit with the Steelers... and he could be a sneaky-good backup plan in the draft if the team misses out on the guard talent early.
In addition to Ioane earning a 30 visit, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported that Iowa offensive guard Beau Stephens was also meeting with Pittsburgh's brass.
Stephens wasn't even the most notable or best offensive line prospect on his team, as that title belonged to Senior Bowl standout Gennings Dunker, who played exclusively at right tackle for the Hawkeyes. But Stephens is a player worth betting on later in the draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could view Beau Stephens as a backup plan at guard in the NFL Draft
While Ioane is a true first-round prospect, there isn't a ton of depth and talent at the guard position in the 2026 NFL Draft. But if the Steelers don't land a guard in the first two rounds, Stephens could be a perfect sleeper option.
Let's start with the bad—the traits that will cause Stephens to fall this year. The Iowa product ran just a 5.35 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and his 31 1/8'' arms were shorter than any guard in the class. Stephens' arm length puts him in just the first percentile among all guard prospects at the Combine since 1999, per Mockdraftable's database.
On top of this, Stephens has dealt with injuries throughout his five-year college career. After redshirting as a freshman in 2021, Stephens missed one game in 2022 while at right guard, then missed eight games with an injury in 2023 and two games in 2024.
But in 2025, Stephens was healthy and in his element.
In 13 starts at left guard, Stephens earned First Team All-Big Ten honors while earning the Joe Moore Award. He also recorded an overall grade of 84.9 from Pro Football Focus in 2025, including a 91.6 pass block grade, an 89.2 zone blocking grade, and an outstanding 88.6 grade in true pass sets.
At 6'5 1/5'' and 315 pounds, Stephens has plenty of size for the position if you can get past his short arms and small hands (9 1/4''). On film, however, he was one of the best guards in the nation this past season.
Stephens' lack of arm length and injury history could cause him to slide until early on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, but some team could be getting a starting-level guard who simply knows how to play technically sound football.
Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers' latest pre-draft visit, Beau Stephens could be in play as a backup option for Omar Khan if he misses out on the guard talent early. And based on 2025 performances, this could prove to be one of the steals of the draft if he can stay healthy.
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