Darrian Beavers NFL Draft Overview
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 250 pounds
Position: Linebacker
School: Cincinnati
Darrian Beavers 2022 NFL Draft Profile
The latest draft prospect from the highly-touted Cincinnati defense, Darrian Beavers is a prodigal-son-type story. Before committing to play college football at UCONN, he grew up in Cincinnati and attended Colrain high school. After two uninspiring years where he contributed a total of 38 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and seven sacks, he transferred home. His first year back in the Queen City came and went without much fanfare.
Beavers really broke out during the 2020 season where he earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors with his 58 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, and forced fumble. He truly developed into a leader on a Cincinnati defense that was elite. The Bearcats’ quest for perfection came up just short in a loss in the Peach Bowl against Georgia but Beavers did his best to keep Cincinnati within striking distance.
Beavers took advantage of the free COVID year of eligibility and only improved in 2021. Cincinnati’s defense continued to play at a high level and saw seven of its defenders named as first-team All-AAC, Beavers included. His production skyrocketed in his final season to the tune of 98 tackles, 11 for loss, four sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Beavers was a force for the Bearcats in 2021 and he made himself a lot of money with his play. While he may not be one of the first handful of linebackers selected, Beavers can carve out a nice NFL career once selected.
Strengths
- Nice blend of strength and athleticism
- Versatile, has experience at all linebacker positions
- Good at getting around blockers on blitzes
- Quick to identify running concepts
- Solid tackler; it’s very difficult to block him off the ball for extra yardage
- Can be utilized as an EDGE
Weaknesses
- Limits lateral speed, more of a downhill rusher
- Not reliable in man coverage
- Liability in space
- Can be taken out of the play easily if the ball is not headed his way
- Massive mismatch in coverage
Projection: Fourth Round
Teams With Need at Position: Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
NFL Comparison: Clay Matthews, Jr.
Bottom Line on Darrian Beavers
The linebacker position is deep in this year’s draft. As a prospect, Beavers is not expected to hear his name on days one or two. In today’s NFL, versatility is key. Unfortunately for Beavers, so is a linebacker’s ability to cover. Given what Beavers has put on tape in his time in Cincinnati paired with what was observed at the Senior Bowl, Beavers is not going to be asked to cover. Tight ends and running backs routinely cooked him and his sub-optimal speed.
However, if an NFL team is a great fit, they will be able to utilize Beavers’ abilities. To start, Beavers will likely be used as a pass-rushing rotational piece. He showed that he is a legitimate threat rushing the passer. Beavers is considered a great athlete, earning a 9.60 RAS. For a linebacker in the 2022 draft, that’s the 10th-best score.
Additionally, Beavers is a very solid run-stopper. When he meets running backs in the hole, that’s it. Running backs were not able to blow past him to gain extra yardage. In his final collegiate game, Beavers stood out against Alabama where most of his peers looked out-classed. He ended up with the most tackles and tackles for loss between both teams. Beavers faced off against legitimate NFL-ready Alabama players and showed out. Give him a developmental, rotational role and Beavers will be well worth the pick.
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