Steelers take LSU tackle Jerald Hawkins in 4th round

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have a knack for turning unheralded prospects into starters, particularly along the offensive line.

They did it with Ramon Foster, an undrafted free agent who is now a fixture at guard. They did it with Kelvin Beachum, a former seventh-round pick who worked his way from versatile backup to starting left tackle before moving on to Jacksonville last month.

Jerald Hawkins hopes to add his name to the list. The Steelers grabbed the massive tackle from LSU in the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday, optimistic Hawkins gives them another viable option at potentially protecting Ben Roethlisberger's right side. Hawkins started 37 games across three seasons at LSU before deciding to leave the Tigers with a year of eligibility.

Not everyone, however, was a believer. Hawkins said the NFL draft advisory board suggested he stay in school. He kept his name in the draft anyway and it paid off with a phone call from the Steelers early Saturday afternoon.

"He gives us help right away by competing," offensive line coach Mike Munchak said. "He just makes our group better. I feel this guy can come in, learn from the guys we have."

And perhaps at one point play alongside them. Hawkins played both left and right tackle at LSU. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder believes he's equally at ease on either side of the line. Marcus Gilbert is locked in at right tackle but things are more uncertain at left tackle. Alejandro Villanueva - a former Army Ranger who spent time in Afghanistan before beginning his NFL career - filled in quite nicely over the second-half of the 2015 season when Beachum went down with a knee injury. The Steelers also signed veteran Ryan Harris to a two-year deal in March.

Munchak said the team hasn't even started discussing what the depth chart is going to look like when organized team activities begin in a few weeks and won't lock Hawkins into one spot or the other.

"For me it's finding what he's most comfortable at," Munchak said.

The 22-year-old Hawkins seems capable of handling pressure. When the advisory board told him to return to LSU for his senior season, he relied heavily on Tigers offensive line coach Jeff Grimes for counsel.

"He came two years ago, and I felt like I learned a lot more from him," Hawkins said. "I had some technique things to work on and he pretty much helped me out these last two years. I felt comfortable with my decision, felt more mature and felt it was the right thing to do."

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