Tag: Tavante Beckett

Lions cut 5 players to make room for the UDFA class

Lions cut 5 players to make room for the UDFA class, including waiving one player with an injury settlement

No team carried more players on the 90-man roster than the Detroit Lions did entering the 2022 NFL draft weekend. As a result, the team has been limited in the pursuit of undrafted free agents. That has now been rectified.

The Lions waived five players on Tuesday.

  • LB Tavante Beckett
  • EDGE Rashod Berry
  • CB Parnell Motley
  • TE Matt Sokol
  • TE Jared Pinkney, who was waived with an injury settlement

None of the players who were waived were considered more than longshots to make the final 53-man roster. Beckett did show some ability on special teams as an undrafted rookie in 2021.

Creating those vacancies on the roster places the Lions at 85 players on the roster, counting the spots committed for the draft class.

Lions sign 9 from the practice squad to reserve/future contracts

The Lions locked up nine of the players from their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday

One of the first orders of business for NFL teams in the offseason is to handle the players who ended the season on the practice squad. Those players, who are not technically under contract to the team any longer, are free to do what they wish.

For the players the Detroit Lions and other teams wish to keep around to at least start the 2022 offseason, they can sign reserve/future contracts. They are effectively commitments by the team to bring the players back with a chance to compete for spots in the coming season.

The Lions locked up nine of the players from their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday:

DE Eric Banks
LB Tavante Beckett
DE Bruce Hector
WR Javon McKinley
QB Steven Montez
CB Parnell Motley
OT Dan Skipper
CB Saivion Smith
TE Shane Zylstra

The Lions also activated OLB Austin Bryant from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bryant missed the final two games.

Lions activate OTs Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell among final Week 18 roster moves

The Lions get their starting offensive tackles back jus tin time for the Week 18 matchup with the Packers

Good news for the Detroit Lions on the eve of their final game of the 2021 NFL season. The team activated starting offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker from the reserve/COVID-19 list in time to play in Sunday’s finale against Green Bay.

Activating Decker and Sewell means the Lions add two of the team’s best players back into the mix. Both tested positive early in the week but were able to clear protocols — namely being asymptomatic and producing a negative test — in time for the game. OLB Austin Bryant remains on the list.

Just to be safe, the Lions did elevate OT Dan Skipper from the practice squad, along with LB Tavante Beckett. They were standard elevations.

Sewell and reserve offensive tackle Will Holden were added to the injury report as questionable with illness, however. That helps explain Skipper’s promotion.

Detroit also brought freshly cut CB Saivion Smith back to the team on the practice squad. To make room, the Lions released WR Juwan Green and RB Rodney Smith from the practice squad.

Rookie expectations: What to expect from the Lions rookies versus Atlanta

Due to injuries and COVID-19 issues, a lot of rookies will be on center stage for the Lions vs. the Falcons

Coming off of a huge victory at home last Sunday, the Detroit Lions now head to Atlanta with the hopes of having their first winning streak of the season.

Due to COVID-19, the flu, and a plethora of injuries to key players, the Lions have had to rely more on their 2021 rookie class than many expected them to. This game will be no different as several first-year players are set to take on larger roles against Atlanta.

Offensive linemen Penei Sewell, Tommy Kraemer, and Ryan McCollum

First-round pick Penei Sewell has already proven that he’s capable of holding his own against some of the league’s top pass-rushers. Luckily, he won’t be up against any of those players when he takes the field in Atlanta. The Falcons’ leading pass-rusher is Dante Fowler, who has just 4.5 sacks on the season. No other player on the team has gotten more than two sacks on opposing quarterbacks. The Lions will be relying on backup quarterback Tim Boyle, who will more than appreciate Sewell keeping a clean pocket for him on the right side of the line.

Undrafted free agent Tommy Kraemer could potentially be the Lions’ starting left guard if Jonah Jackson is unable to play. Jackson, who has been the team’s starting left guard for most of the season, is listed as questionable to play as he deals with a back injury. Kraemer has started in two games this far with mixed results. His first career game was rife with penalties and pressures given up, but he turned things around last week after taking every snap on offense in the blowout win over Arizona.

Center Ryan McCollum will likely be active as he is the only backup to Evan Brown at the moment. As long as Brown stays healthy, McCollum will only take the field for field goals and extra point attempts.

Running back Jermar Jefferson

Rookie running back Jermar Jefferson has had a very limited role on offense over the last few weeks as he has had to re-acclimate himself into practices after dealing with both illness and injury. Unfortunately, his playing time has been hindered even more by the emergence of Craig Reynolds, who has been exceeding any and all expectations at the running back position.

Jefferson should see some playing time but it will likely be in a limited capacity once again. The rookie has 97 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns so far this year.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

It is very clear the the chemistry between fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown and starting quarterback Jared Goff has been found. Unfortunately, we’ll have to see how the rookie will do with Tim Boyle taking the reigns on offense.

St. Brown has four catches for 18 yards when Boyle is playing quarterback, so it’s more than likely that he’ll be a go-to option against Atlanta. He and veteran Josh Reynolds will be the starting receivers for this game and the two won’t be taking too much time off on offense.

Tight ends Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra

Despite showing some promise as a receiver earlier in the season, Brock Wright had a rough day against the Cardinals last Sunday. The rookie blocking tight end committed two penalties and failed to catch the one pass that came his way.

Luckily, fellow undrafted rookie Shane Zylstra has been activated from the practice squad once again and can take over the receiving duties at the tight end position and letting Wright revert back to his role as a blocker. Zylstra has three receptions for 34 yards on the 69 offensive snaps he’s taken thus far.

Defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill

One of the bigger mysteries of this season is why these two defensive rookies aren’t getting more playing time.

Onwuzurike has flashed some promise at defensive end and has 29 tackles and a sack to his name so far. The issue is that he has been on the field for less than a third of the Lions’ defensive snaps. He has been dealing with minor injuries for a majority of the year, so maybe the coaching staff is just trying to ensure the rookie is healthy for a bigger role next season.

Alim McNeill has began to unseat John Penisini as Detroit’s starting nose tackle but the two are still essentially sharing their reps. McNeill has all the physical traits needed to be a force against the run, but just needs a little more time to develop into that role. Expect him to put some pressure on the Falcons’ struggling interior offensive line in this matchup.

Linebackers Derrick Barnes and Tavante Beckett

The Lions have seen more successes than usual with their linebackers this season. At inside linebacker, Alex Anzalone had been looking like a great free-agent signing and Jalen Reeves-Maybin has emerged into a full-time starter. Unfortunately for Detroit, Anzalone’s season is over after suffering an injury last week and Reeves-Maybin is questionable to play.

This means that rookie linebacker Derrick Barnes will be helming the defense as the starting inside linebacker against Atlanta. Barnes showed plenty of potential throughout training camp and the preseason, but has reminded us that he is still a rookie with much to learn as his role has increased throughout the season.

His biggest struggles have been when he has had to drop into coverage, which doesn’t bode well when he’s set to face off against dual-threat running back and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Called up from the practice squad, Tavante Beckett could see the field for the first time in his career. He’ll be a reserve inside linebacker in case any more injuries afflict that position group.

Defensive backs Ifeatu Melifonwu, AJ Parker, Mark Gilbert, and Brady Breeze

No position group on this team has had more changes to personnel than the defensive backs. Down their top three cornerbacks, the Lions will now rely on Ifeatu Melifonwu to start opposite of safety-turned-cornerback Will Harris.

Melifonwu has a string of bad luck to begin his career. The rookie was placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury in week 2. When he was activated from injured reserve, he immediately was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and missed even more time. He’ll have a lot of rust to shake off, but this will also be a great opportunity to evaluate the young cornerback.

AJ Parker returned from injured reserve and is back to being the Lions’ starting nickel defender. The undrafted rookie has been exceptional in that role and should have an easy time against the Falcons, whose receiving corps has been depleted due to injuries.

Mark Gilbert has also just been activated from Reserve/COVID-19 and should be the next man up at cornerback if Melifonwu or Harris get hurt. Gilbert showed plenty of promise against Pittsburgh earlier this season when he forced a fumble on Diontae Johnson. If it comes to it, he’ll be a reliable replacement in the secondary.

Brady Breeze saw some meaningful reps on defense last week after being claimed off of waivers from Tennessee. As a reserve free safety, he likely won’t be playing much in this game with Tracy Walker back in the lineup. Expect Breeze to be a core special teamer if he’s active at all.

Kicker Riley Patterson

The Detroit Lions found a diamond in the rough by signing Patterson off of New England’s practice squad. After having gone through six kickers over the course of training camp, preseason, and regular season, they have finally found a reliable option in this undrafted rookie.

Patterson has yet to miss a kick on his fifteen total field goal and extra point attempts. Hopefully he finds more of the same successes against Atlanta.

 

Lions place CB Amani Oruwariye on IR, ending his season

The Detroit Lions place CB Amani Oruwariye on IR, ending his season with a thumb injury

Amani Oruwariye’s impressive 2021 season has come to an unfortunate and premature ending. The Lions placed their top cornerback on injured reserve a day before the team’s Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Oruwariye will miss at least three games, and with just three games remaining on the schedule, the move effectively ends his season. The third-year CB has a thumb injury and was previously ruled out for Sunday’s game in Atlanta.

Oruwariye had a breakout 2021 season. thrust up the depth chart due to injuries, No. 24 responded with an outstanding effort. His six interceptions ranks third in the NFL, and Oruwariye also ranks fourth on the Lions with 44 solo tackles. His relative reliability on the outside has been a big boost for a secondary that has been completely gutted with injuries all season.

In other roster moves, the Lions elevated three practice squad players for Sunday’s game. LB Tavante Beckett, LB Curtis Bolton and TE Shane Zylstra were bumped up from the practice squad with COVID-19 replacement status.

Presenting the Detroit Lions initial 2021 practice squad

Which players made the Lions practice squad and breaking down what they offer the team

With the 53-man active roster established, though in flux with some more moves beyond the initial cutdowns, the Detroit Lions have established the practice squad for the 2021 team.

The Lions can retain up to 16 players on the practice squad. Up to six of those can be vested veterans who would previously not qualify for the practice squad due to service time, a rule change made to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic from last season.

The team can protect up to four players each week from being signed away to another team, though that protection does not start until after Week 1.

Here are the players on the Lions practice squad officially announced by the team on Wednesday. Reports of the team signing QB Steven Montez are not yet official.

Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn hypes up undrafted rookie LB Tavante Beckett

Beckett played very well in the preseason loss to the Steelers and earned some first-team reps at LB on Tuesday

Lions fans who put the wretched first half of Saturday night’s preseason game in Pittsburgh behind them and intently watched the second half probably know Tavante Beckett’s name. The speedy undrafted rookie linebacker was all over the Heinz Field turf, showing range, closing burst and positional awareness.

No. 59 only made one tackle, but the UDFA from Marshall was always around the ball or where he needed to be in coverage. That stood out after the first half of doom and LB gloom. It also stood out to Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who hyped up the speedy, undersized backer after Tuesday’s practice session.

“It’s hard not to notice him,” Glenn stated. “Fast, quick, aggressive. The plays that he came in the (Steelers preseason) game and made, man, he showed out.”

Paired with Glenn’s earlier statement (regarding fellow UDFA A.J. Parker) that “you can’t be afraid of young players”, it seems like Beckett might have better chances to stick around Detroit than originally expected. At 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, Beckett is smaller than some NFL safeties, but he’s proven he knows how to use his size, or lack thereof, as an asset. He’s difficult to block and accelerates laterally a lot quicker than most LBs can in coverage.

Beckett earned a handful of first-team defensive reps in Tuesday’s practice. He figures to play significant snaps in Friday night’s preseason finale, too.

The reality is that Beckett is playing more for a practice squad spot in 2021, but if Friday night’s game plays out similar to how the Steelers game flowed, Beckett will have a chance for something bigger and better than that as a rookie. With top coverage backer Shaun Dion Hamilton lost for the season already, there’s a role for Beckett to seize.

Derrick Barnes injury allowing other Lions LBs to shine in his absence

With rookie Derrick Barnes sidelined with a hamstring injury, other Detroit Lion LBs are taking advantage of the extra playing time

With padded practices beginning, this will be the first look we get of full-speed contact from the new-look Detroit Lions. It will give us a sense of where some of these players are since the likes of two-hand touch football aren’t hindering them. There are quite a few areas people usually gravitate towards, either be the running game or the first taste of football for the rookies.

Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see how one of the rookies is progressing. Derrick Barnes has been dealing with a lingering hamstring issue that has caused him to be out from training camp so far. However, Coach Dan Campbell has assured everyone it’s not a major issue and precautious with the young rookie.

When the Lions traded up to draft Barnes in the fourth round in this year’s draft, they obviously saw something from the linebacker who could be a key defender for the defense. He is a versatile defender that could fit nicely as an off-ball linebacker and also offers an edge-rushing prowess.

With Barnes losing out on meaningful reps during practice, it may slow down his progress in getting used to the NFL speed. In turn, that may cause him to drop down the totem pole and lose on some meaningful playing time, especially if others step up during Barnes’ absence.

With Barnes out and Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Anthony Pittman and Tavante Beckett have been taking advantage of those extra practice reps. They might not have seen those reps if it weren’t for some injuries above them.

Hamilton was claimed off of waivers earlier in the year and has made noise in training camp so far with his play speed and coverage ability. If Hamilton continues on the trend he is currently on and shows off his strong coverage skills, he could find a way on the roster.

Pittman is walking into his third season with the team but has seen action in just one game. From the reports, he looks much quicker and plays in his more natural position at inside linebacker versus outside linebacker last year. In addition, he has shown improvement in his coverage abilities and looks to be playing much quicker. Tavante Beckett may be a long shot as an undrafted free agent this year, but he is getting a much more extended look that surely most people would’ve thought and could earn a practice squad spot because of it.

The Lions are top-heavy, with the linebacker depth chart with Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone working the inside and Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers manning the outside. Barnes may have ended up competing with Alex Anzalone for the inside spot if he had a strong camp, but now that might be looking like a pipe dream with how many valuable reps he has missed to get acclimated to the NFL and the defensive play-calling.

With Barnes viewed as one of the future building blocks for the defense, it would be unreasonable to rush him back on the field when he is not 100 percent. It will hinder him from coming into the season, losing out on those much-needed reps, and may see less playing time because of it heading into the season, but the Lions have a strong core on top to let Barnes heal up and adjust.

With the extended look from Hamilton, Pittman, and Beckett, they are taking advantage and showing the Lions what they have where they might not have been able to if not for Barnes being out. It is something to keep your eye on throughout training camp and see if they can find a role, especially if Barnes’ injury lingers.

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Analyzing the Detroit Lions 13-player UDFA class

The Detroit Lions stayed busy after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft by signing 13 UDFAs and we analyze their roster potential

Even though the Lions finished the 2021 NFL Draft with the third to last pick, they stayed busy on the phones signing 13 UDFA to round out their roster.

Here are the 13 players and what they can bring to the table in Detroit

Jonathan Adams, WR, Arkansas State

Adams finished his career at Arkansas State with 2,306 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, earning the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year award in his senior season. He makes his money by making the tough contested catches, notching 23 contested catches, best in college football, and tied for the lead with 15 deep catches, only behind first-round selection Devonta Smith. He can abuse corners with his massive catch radius and superb body control, making one highlight after another. He does have average speed and lack of consistency leading to 11 dropped passes his senior season–the most in college football–and ran a limited route tree. Even with the negatives against him, he can be a deep threat that wins those 50/50 balls.

The Lions need to stock the wide receiver room, only taking one in the draft in Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round, but he will mainly be used in the slot. The Lions gave Adams $90,000 in guaranteed money to come to Detroit, so they must feel he has a shot at contributing to the team.

D’Angelo Amos, S, Virginia

Amos was a graduate transfer from James Madison to Virginia, where in his lone season he recorded 47 tackles, three pass breakups, and two interceptions. In an interview, Amos noted that the Lions were interested in him after they initially met him at an All-Star event in Texas in January and had constant contact with the Lions until the draft. Amos has also contacted James Madison alum Dean Marlowe, who the Lions signed this past offseason.

The Lions didn’t address safety in the draft even though it was one of the holes that needed answering; Amos can potentially be a depth piece with a good camp. Also, Amos is a very good return man, returning 1,259 punt yards along with five punt touchdowns, which may be his ticket to making the team.

Tavante Beckett, LB, Marshall

Beckett had a rocky start to begin his collegiate career. After his freshman season, he was dismissed from Virginia Tech, where he was charged with conspiracy to sell and possession of marijuana, but those charges were later dropped. He would transfer to Marshall, where he would earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Year his senior season, finishing the year with 90 tackles and no touchdowns allowed.

He has a strong nose for the football and can sniff through the traffic to find the ball carrier, but unfortunately, he is erratic and misses tackles. With his small stature for a typical linebacker, some see a move to safety will be his best bet to make in the NFL. He is not the most athletic, but there is no denying his playmaking ability, and with coaching, he could carve out a role.

Rakeem Boyd, RB, Arkansas

Boyd is a feel-good story coming of JUCO to find success at Arkansas, where he led the team in rushing in 2018 and 2019 but chose to opt out in 2020 after six games. He is a very patient runner allowing the block to develop and attack the crease making a weapon in the open field. He has to rely on his instincts more due to a lack of finesse and explosiveness. He does have some receiving capabilities, but he has multiple drops in the process and needs to work on his pass protection.

With his straight-line speed capability, he will be best utilized as a role player to get you those few extra yards, but nothing more. The Lions running back room seems set at the moment with Swift, Williams, and Johnson. He will have to compete with seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson, but even then, that might not be enough to separate himself from the pack.

Jake Hausmann, TE, Ohio State

Hausmann had a lackluster career while with the Buckeyes catching only three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown. He was mostly regulated to special teams and utilized for his blocking. Unfortunately, with the lack of vitals to go off of and his poor testing numbers, it seems like Hausmann is destined as a camp body.

Drake Jackson, C, Kentucky

Jackson was a surprise non-draftee due to his center starting experience with his time at Kentucky earning a starting spot his freshman year while playing 45 straight games. He has strong intelligence, sound hands and can clear lanes going into the second level.

The problem being with Jackson is his size with only 31” arms and 8 ¼ in hands, which hinders his position versatility to guard, putting him as a center-only type player. Now the Lions only have Evan Brown behind Frank Ragnow for center depth, but Jackson is smart and a technician to find a role along the Lions offensive line.

Jerry Jacobs, CB, Arkansas

It was bad timing for Jacobs to solidify his status as a prospect when he tore his ACL in 2019 and then opted out after he transferred to Arkansas putting significant jeopardy to his draft stock. If he continued the trajectory he was on in 2018 when he notched twelve pass breakups and four interceptions while at Arkansas State, it could’ve been a different story. He is a very aggressive player but lacks the fundamentals to utilize his full potential. He will need to get coached to iron out the wrinkles, but the potential is there to turn the corner.

Tommy Kraemer, G, Norte Dame

Kraemer is a versatile offensive lineman seeing time at tackle and guard during his time at Norte Dame, where he started 39 games for the Fighting Irish. He looks like your prototypical guard with strong hands that can control the line of scrimmage from just looking at him. His downfall is his footwork and technique that doesn’t allow him to give off blocks and handle athletic players. He has the grit to make it on the Lions squad that needs guard depth.

Javon McKinley, WR, Norte Dame

McKinley seemed to be on the top of the list of UDFAs the Lions wanted to go after, considering they gave McKinley a cool $100,000 to come to Detroit. It was a rough go for him to start his collegiate career with his long injury list, 2016- Missed 6 games (broken fibula), 2017- Out for the season, 2018-Limited to four games. 2019-Missed the final four games (foot sprain). In his final season, he was able to play the whole season while leading Norte Dame in receiving with 717 yards with three touchdowns.

He wins off of contested catches and strong body control and ball skills. If it weren’t for the injuries, McKinley might have seen better pastures, but he is coming to a Lions receiver squad in desperate need of bodies.

Dedrick Mills, RB, Nebraska

Mills was Nebraska’s leading rusher in 2019, where he rushed for 745 yards, but then he saw his 2020 campaign shorted with injuries but finished the season with 396 yards and three touchdowns. He is very similar to Mills on the profile type with straight-line speed, navigate the gaps, and his ability to make cuts with a strong vision.

On the flip side, he lacks the agility to change direction and top-end speed to get to the next gear once he clears the lanes and also not a strong receiver even though he received targets with the Huskers. If the Lions decided to keep a fourth running back, Mills and Boyd would have to battle it out.

AJ Parker, CB, Kansas State

Parker found a spot as the nickel corner with Kansas State starting every game starting in his sophomore season. Even though he might not be an explosive athlete, he manages to make plays on the ball defending 24 passes along with six interceptions in his career. He can read the offense and get in the passing lanes and off coverage with his strong instincts.

With his size, though, he sometimes has issues getting through blocks to make plays on the ball carrier, which tends to be his downfall. The Lions starting nickel corner is Corn Elder, and if Parker can overcome his shortfalls, he could find his way as a depth player.

Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest

During his time at Wake Forest, Surratt lined up inside and outside and before he was sidelined with a shoulder injury includes leading the Power 5 schools with 1,001 yards and eleven touchdowns. He is a massive player at 6’2’ and 209 pounds, and he uses every bit of strength alength to abuse defenders for contested catches.

He won’t be the fastest player on, the field and his route tree is very limited, which might keep him as a big slot and red zone option for the Lions, where he can compete with Quintez Cephus for potential reps.

Brock Wright, TE, Norte Dame

Like Hausmann, Wright saw very limited action during his stint at Norte Dame, catching only seven passes during his four seasons. He mostly got his playing time as a blocking tight end, but he shows he does have the athleticism (9.21 RAS) to ne utilized in the passing game if called upon. It seems Dan Campbell is trying to recreate a version of himself with these two blocking tight ends. If Wright can outshine players down the tight end depth chart, Wright could find his way on the roster.

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Mock Draft Watch: ESPN’s latest adds versatile LB help to the Browns

As always, our @JoshKeatley16 offers some alternative picks too

Another mock draft was released and this time by one of the more well-known pundits from ESPN. The great and wise Todd McShay projects the Cleveland Browns selecting some defensive help in the second level with Zaven Collins from Tulsa.

In this scenario, Micah Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Azeez Ojulari are already off the board. McShay makes a strong case for Collins. McShay’s explanation,

“I mocked Collins to the Browns a month ago as well, and nothing has changed for a team certainly ready to contend for a Super Bowl. Myles Garrett can’t be the only effective pass-rusher on this roster, and after hovering in the middle of the league in sacks for the past few years (34, 37, 38 and 39 sacks in the past four seasons), Cleveland needs to make the jump with its edge rush to truly challenge in the AFC. Collins — who would be Tulsa’s second first-rounder in the common draft era — has versatility and burst.”

Other OLB Options:

Micah Parsons, Penn St., 6-3, 244 pounds:

Parsons was taken at 15 in this scenario and has failed to make it to Cleveland in any mock that I have seen so far, but it isn’t impossible and he would be a great fit. The Browns are close to being a major threat in this league and adding an elite three-down backer with his type of rare athleticism and top-notch instincts may take this defense to the next level. He is a rare prospect that checks practically every box and despite his perceived low positional value, Cleveland would be foolish to not have interest.

Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-0, 232 pounds:

Bolton has been a star for the Tigers since taking over the starting gig due to an injury to the previous starter in 2019. He has dominated the SEC the past two seasons as evidenced by his team-leading 95 tackles and eight of those tackles were for a loss. Bolton also added five pass deflections this past season and has shown that he is great in coverage. He is a classic off-ball linebacker than can play in the middle or on the outside.

Later Round OLB Options:

Tavante Beckett, Marshall, 5-10, 209 pounds:

The Virginia Tech transfer has been a wrecking ball at Marshall and has led the Herd in tackles the last two seasons including an impressive 90 in COVID shortened 2020. He was a C-USA Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2019 and took home the award in 2020. Beckett isn’t going to be selected early due to his size, but he plays much larger than his listed measurements and can be an interesting chess piece for Joe Woods.

Jordan Smith, UAB, 6-7, 250 pounds:

Smith was a straight-up star at UAB and that star potential has a real possibility of translating to the next level. He was an absolute monster in the backfield as evidenced by his team-leading nine tackles for loss last season and was dominant as a pass rusher leading the Blazers with 4.5 sacks. Almost the exact opposite of Beckett, Smith is a lengthy edge rusher with the athleticism to develop into a key contributor.