Pros and Cons of 49ers taking Georgia football's Robert Beal in 2023 NFL Draft

Georgia football’s Robert Beal was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Beal had 20 quarterback pressures last season on a defense that included first-round picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.

The No. 173 overall pick rang up 9½ sacks the past two seasons for a team that won back-to-back national championships.

Here’s what Beal can bring to the NFL:

Georgia football outside linebacker Robert Beal: The positives

Beal was a late bloomer of sorts, redshirting in 2017 and having just 23 tackles and one sack the next three seasons as a reserve. He entered the transfer portal after the 2019 season but returned.

More: How Charlotte's Jordan Davis transformed from reluctant football player to UGA linchpin

The 6-foot-3 ½, 247-pounder from Norcross, near Atlanta, led Georgia with 6½ sacks in 2021 after top pass rusher Adam Anderson was removed from the team due to criminal charges. He added three more sacks in his sixth college season in 2022 with 26 tackles, three more than the previous year. Running a 4.44 40 time was impressive for his size.

“You don’t get that with a lot of guys,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. “He’s got really good transition quickness in terms of getting off blocks, locating and going to make plays.”

The concerns

Beal played on a defense the past two seasons that was loaded with first-round talent in the front seven, including Travon Walker, Jalen Carter, Quay Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Nolan Smith. How much of his pass rush success was a product of the players around him?

More: 'Eating off the floor:' How New Zealand rugby phrases help motivate Georgia football

“I thought his instincts at times, there were some false steps and things,” McShay said. “But as a pass rusher he flashes because he’s got the strength, length and speed that you need.”

Final thoughts

It was easy for Beal to get lost on a defense with so much talent. He didn’t become a fixture as a starter until his final season, but he has a chance to be a solid pro with his sound work ethic.

McShay said Beal is most effective “when you just turn him loose. He’s got a chance to outplay where he gets drafted.” Coach Kirby Smart called Beal “tough, physical,” and said that he expects him, “to be really successful in the NFL."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: 49ers pick Georgia football's Robert Beal in 2023 NFL Draft