Robert Beal Jr. NFL Draft Scouting Report

EDGE, Georgia Bulldogs

Robert Beal Jr. is a defensive end/outside linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was a highly-regarded and recruited high school prospect—a former 5-star recruit and a top-10-ranked defensive end. It took a few seasons for Beal to receive a significant amount of snaps, but he’s been a constant part of the Bulldogs’ rotation since 2021. 

Beal’s arm length and reach stand out immediately when watching the tape. When used properly, Beal can assume leverage control during his one-on-one battles. Combined with his hand placement, his bull rush is effective. Beal transitions from speed to power well to stress the OL’s balance and ability to anchor. He uses the length and hand power to soften rush angles outside and inside. His power creates an effective push/pull technique to overtake OL when their feet have died in the rep. 

Beal plays with a hot motor that does not stop his pursuit of the football until the play is over. His athleticism and burst help contain and chase down mobile quarterbacks. He works as the read defender in the zone-read game and uses the halfway leverage to play the mesh point honestly. As a run defender, he can hold his ground and shed once he located the football. He meets pulling and lead blockers with physicality to stop the RBs momentum. 

Beal has the frame, length, and traits, but his sack production has not quite lived up to expectations. His pad level can be a little high and negatively affect his leveraging. His pass-rush arsenal is not overly diverse at this stage of his career. Beal lacks consistency with his hand counters in pass rush sequences outside of speed to power. Beal’s instincts and play-diagnosing skills are not advanced. He can be a step late on plays which sometimes lessens his effectiveness. Despite his overall power and strength, Beal does not consistently trigger from stacking blocks and shedding when the ball is run in his direction. He does not rush with a plan to defeat blockers from snap to snap.

Beal projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker/edge defender. He is underdeveloped as a pure pass rusher. He has never received the bulk of the snaps to assist or accelerate his development. Instead, he’s been mostly a rotational piece. He can stand up or play with his hand in the dirt. He could operate in a rotational role with tools to become a more prevalent option for a defense. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Motor
• Power
• Closing burst

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Sack production
• Underdeveloped pass-rush plan
• Versatility

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 4”

Weight: 247 lbs

Arm Length: 34 5/8”

Hand Size: 10 1/8”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.48s

Vertical Jump: 30”

Broad Jump: 10′ 3”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD 

Ideal Role: Outside linebacker

Scheme Fit: 3-4

TDN Consensus Grade: 74.50/100 (Fourth-Round Value)

• Parson Grade: 74.50/100

Written By: Damian Parson

Exposures: Florida (2022), Mississippi St (2022), LSU (2022), Kentucky (2022)

Robert Beal Jr. NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.