The 49ers added Georgia EDGE Robert Beal on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it turns out the Niners were once his favorite team.
One of the few pressing needs the San Francisco 49ers had in the 2023 NFL Draft was to address the pass rush, namely finding someone who could pair with All-Pro EDGE Nick Bosa, especially after losing defensive ends Charles Omenihu and Samson Ebukam in free agency.
The Niners could have used one of their three picks in Round 3 of the draft to address the issue.
Instead, however, general manager John Lynch waited until the end of Round 5 to find a pass-rusher worth taking, Georgia EDGE Robert Beal Jr.
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2018 | Georgia | SEC | FR | LB | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| *2019 | Georgia | SEC | SO | LB | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2020 | Georgia | SEC | JR | LB | |||||||||||||||
| *2021 | Georgia | SEC | SR | LB | 12 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| *2022 | Georgia | SEC | SR | LB | 15 | 16 | 9 | 25 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | Georgia | 36 | 36 | 72 | 11.5 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 4/29/2023.
Beal’s production last season might not be there. But the 6-foot-4 and 255-pound pass-rusher who ran a 4.44 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine could be a legitimate threat if he’s coached up correctly.
And that’s what San Francisco hopes to do.
Turns out, Beal is pretty happy he’s joining the 49ers, too.
Robert Beal says 49ers were his ‘favorite’ team when he was a kid
It didn’t take long for Beal to showcase his excitement about joining the Niners as a rookie.
Turns out, he was a big fan of San Francisco back in the head coach Jim Harbaugh days, and Beal told reporters that “it was a dream come true” to don the red and gold.
Robert Beal Jr. said the #49ers were his favorite team as a kid. "It's a dream come true."
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) April 29, 2023
On top of that, Beal admitted his favorite player from the 49ers during that timeframe was EDGE Aldon Smith, who carved out a pretty notable career with the Niners despite it being too brief and hindered by off-field challenges.
At any rate, San Francisco is hoping Beal can be that kind of productive pass-rusher at the pro level, too, and he has to be thrilled at joining a boyhood favorite.