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Evan Boehm has a long road ahead, but he's a good one in the run game right now

The Arizona Cardinals 4th round pick may not see much playing time as a rookie, but what he showed through four years will endear him towards his teammates and should excite Cardinals fans.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

There isn't much to the game of Evan Boehm.  He,s brutish, punishing, and altogether not a sexy player, unless you love watching offensive lineman work.  From Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

outstanding power at the point of attack with an ability to create running lanes through sheer brute force

Boehm excels in the run game, with his ability to control the space immediately in front of him, he shows great power and the ability to be a mover of men, something that the Cardinals have not had in recent years as Lyle Sendlein began to slow down.  That's not Boehm, a ferocious and mean man at the point of attack, he's what Arizona has been lacking in the running game.

Boehm also has some ability in space, even if it is not as fluid when getting in contact immediately, he seems to always find a way to make contact with his man.

What you want to see from your center is the ability to make plays at all levels of the field in the run game though. He has lost some of the fluidity that marked his game when he first got to Mizzou, but much of that can be blamed on some nagging lower body injuries, and yet, he never missed a start.

When you go back though, you can see the ability of Boehm to be that all around run blocking center that Arizona covets at the center position. Someone who can win head up on power, but also make contact and close down the linebacker on an outside zone where he needs to get to the second level.

The other thing he can do though, is he can pull. And one thing you want is not just an athlete who can get out there, you want a player that understands where his assignment is, or where the nearest threat is coming from.

Overall, what you get from a player like Evan Boehm is the type of physical presence that a team in the NFC West needs in the running game. While it may take a year for him to get there mentally in Bruce Arians offense, calling protections and understanding the concepts within the passing game, he is a player that can also come in and fit right away in the run game, and someone you feel comfortable with assisting Carson Palmer call the offense.