NFL expert believes Robert Beal can 'out play' draft position
The 2023 NFL Draft is just over a week away, and plenty of Georgia players are generating buzz. One of them who’s not creating quite as much is Robert Beal, but one NFL expert believes he maybe should be.
“Robert Beal is a player who, I studied his tape and I liked flashes,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. “Very good combination of height, arm length – 34, almost 35 inches – 34 and 5/8 inches – he’s 6-foot-3 and 3/4, 247 and ran a 4.44. You don’t get that with a lot of guys.”
“The versatility that he brings and the ability to stack against blocks, quick to disengage, he’s got really good transition off of blocks and is quick to go make plays. I thought his instincts at times, there were some false steps and things like that, but as a pass rusher he flashes because he’s got the strength and length and speed that you need,” McShay continued. “He’s a hard worker. His work ethic, he puts in the time in the weight room. I think the one area is getting him to understand concepts and working with him in that regard. But if you just turn him loose, he’s got a chance to out play where he gets drafted. I currently have him in the mid-round range, third-fourth round, but there are some teams who are a little bit higher on him, so it won’t shock me if he’s gone at the end of night two.”
Beal spent six seasons at Georgia, arriving in Athens in 2017. He redshirted that season before playing in 11 of 14 games in 2018, finishing with 15 total tackles. He saw a down-tick in playing time in 2019 before entering the transfer portal, but Beal ultimately decided to withdraw his name and return to Georgia.
After playing in seven of 10 games, primarily on kickoff coverage, without recording a stat in 2020, Beal came up big for the Bulldogs in 2021, leading the team in sacks. He played in all 15 games, starting two, and finished with 23 tackles. Of his 6.5 sacks, five came in the final six games of the season with one each in both College Football Playoff contests. He had a season-high four stops against Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl before three in the National Championship Game win over Alabama.
Beal returned to Georgia for his final year of eligibility in 2022 and had a career-high 26 tackles. Taking on a bigger role as an all-around outside linebacker, especially after Nolan Smith suffered a season-ending injury, Beal didn’t end with as many sacks or tackles for loss. However, speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in March, Beal said he believed his decision to return was beneficial for his overall development.
“I wanted to better myself and mature a little bit,” Beal said. “I feel like I boosted it (his draft stock) a little bit more, took on a bigger role so my stats were down a little bit, but I showed that I could do more than just rush the passer. Working on my versatility other than pass rush, covering tight ends, wide receivers, running backs down the field, I added more to my game.”
The NFL Draft begins next Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET with the first round on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Coverage continues Friday with the second and third rounds as well as Saturday with the fourth through seventh, all taking place in Kansas City.
