2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT

  • Name: Darrian Beavers
  • Position: Linebacker
  • School: Cincinnati
  • Height: 6'4"
  • Weight: 255lbs

Film Watched: Notre Dame 2021, UCF 2021, Houston 2021

Pro's:

  • An absolute unit. All the size and physicality to operate as an NFL middle linebacker
  • Bruising tackler who will punish ball carriers coming at him head on
  • Strong arms, and shows good ability to make tackles outside of his frame
  • Embraces contact with blockers and has the torque and upper body power to stack & shed
  • Uses his length well to keep hands off his numbers and work to gaps
  • Enough lateral speed to fight off angled blocks and stay relevant
  • Developed a nose for the backfield in his final year at Cincinnati – 11 TFL’s and 4 sacks
  • Ultra competitive and raises the level of those around him
  • Special teams standout who loves the dirty work

Con's:

  • Stiff. Reacting to sharp cuts and changes of direction is a challenge
  • Clumsy through traffic when scraping to the football
  • Doesn’t have the top speed to stay relevant on plays from the backside
  • Adequate in coverage for the Bearcats, but athleticism in space will seriously be tested in the NFL
  • Laboured as a blitzer and making plays behind the line of scrimmage will see a dropoff

The Verdict:

“Darrian Beavers is my kind of linebacker! Brimming with aggression and prowling behind the line of scrimmage before the snap, Beavers will earn the moniker of a downhill thumper by many watching his tape. He certainly comes correct when engaging contact with blockers and ball carriers, but he has a little more nous to his game than maybe he is given credit for. His tape showed quick play diagnosis and some elegant adjustments to stay off blocks and offer another pair of hands, and whilst he won’t be confused as a coverage linebacker he didn’t disgrace himself against the pass. Maybe a little old school for some, Beavers doesn’t possess the range of a modern day NFL ‘backer. He projects best on the inside - perhaps in a 4-2-5 - where he can focus on the run and has plenty of aerial help behind him.”
Mock Draft
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content

NFL COMPARISON: NICK BOLTON

PREDICTION: 5TH ROUND PICK

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST.

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Rated 5 out of 5