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With the No. 182 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Cincinnati linebacker Darrian Beavers.
The 6-foot-4, 236-pound Beavers has no real defined role entering the NFL but has earned a reputation as a thumper. He has a particular old school skillset that is counterproductive to defending modern offenses, but that doesn’t mean there’s no fit.
The Giants were thin at inside linebacker and the depth is nice, but Beavers can also step up in a very specific situational role. Essentially, he can take over for the departing Reggie Ragland.
Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Lance Zierlein had to say about Beavers:
Inside linebacker with throwback size but also throwback athleticism that fails to fit cleanly into today’s brand of football. Beavers is a phone-booth linebacker who is well-schooled in taking on and slipping blocks between the tackles but can be overwhelmed by athletic opponents when forced to move and play in space. He plays too stiff-legged and with a lack of desired agility, which gets him tangled up in traffic more than teams might like. He’ll need to lean into a role as a thumper to make a team, which will require improvement in consistently attacking and discarding blockers. Beavers has a challenging road ahead of him but his background as a core special-teamer helps.
Whether or not Beavers can crack the 53-man roster remains to be seen, but Wink Martindale is going to like his style of play. If he does make the cut, he’s likely to take limited defensive snaps and continue on special teams. But over time, that may change.
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