Darry Beckwith LB 6' 242 LSU 4.77

Beckwith did not play much as a freshman, with most of his playing time coming on special teams. He used that experience to make an impact as a sophomore, finishing the season with 65 tackles, four for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. His numbers were very similar a year later, although this time he earned 2nd team SEC honors. Beckwith had 65 tackles, 6.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He missed two games with a knee injury as a senior, but still managed 48 tackles, one for loss, and half a sack.

Strengths

Watch a few plays, and you can see what makes Beckwith jump out as a prospect: his speed. He plays sideline to sideline from his inside linebacker position, and has the speed to run plays down all over the field. Beckwith is a very good athlete that also has very good quickness to go along with his straight line speed. Beckwith projects best as a play making weak side linebacker, but his toughness and ability to move laterally down the line of scrimmage also make him an impact defender inside.

Weaknesses

Size is the glaring issue with Beckwith, as he fits inside in the NFL. He lacks the height, bulk, and growth potential to truly develop into an everydown inside linebacker. He may be able to play there with tackles that can keep blockers away from him, but that may be asking too much. He has trouble shedding blocks, and will likely be at his best outside.

Future

Darry Beckwith is an excellent weakside prospect, but deserves to have his name mentioned with middle linebackers. Most teams will draft him with the idea of him playing outside, but wherever he plays, Beckwith should be a playmaker in the NFL because of his natural athleticism and speed. Beckwith did well at the combine and pro day, but there are still issues with the amount of weight he carries. He tipped the scales at 242lbs at the combine, and ran a 4.77 40. Three weeks later at LSU’s pro day, he dropped to 234 and ran in the high 4.6's. Either way, he is a player and can help at both inside and weakside linebacker.