It wouldn’t have been a huge surprise to see the 49ers to snag a defensive end early in this year’s draft. Instead they waited until their second pick in the fifth round to go that route. With the No. 173 overall pick, they added Georgia defensive end Robert Beal Jr.
Beal’s stats don’t jump off the page. He played in 59 games for the Bulldogs and posted 10.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss. However, a deeper dive indicates Beal could be an impact rusher off the edge with some polish.
He measured in at 6-3, 247 pounds at the combine with a very good 83-inch wingspan. He also ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. That means Beal has good size with long arms and above-average explosiveness. That ability to get off the line of scrimmage with long arms to keep offensive. tackles from putting hands on him is a great starting point for Beal.
The Georgia alum won’t have a significant role right away. He’ll begin the year buried down the depth chart behind Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant. He may even be behind Kerry Hyder who played primarily on the interior last season.
It’s worth betting on Beal’s upside though with his combination of size and athleticism. Putting him alongside defensive line coach Kris Kocurek could bear fruit with yet another fifth-round steal, even if it that development doesn’t happen right away.
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