49ers are Drafting Defensive End Robert Beal Jr. With the No. 173 Pick

Adding a pass rusher is never a bad deal.

The 49ers are drafting Georgia defensive end Robert Beal Jr. with the No. 173 pick in the fifth round. You had to figure the 49ers were going to draft a defensive lineman at some point. There was no way they would've exited this draft without taking one. Selecting Beal is giving defensive line coach Kris Kocurek moldable clay as with any raw defensive line prospect.

Beal spent five seasons at Georgia, but he didn't start to really be an impact player until the 2021 season. In that year, he played in all 15 games, while starting in two of them. He finished with 23 total tackles, including a team-high 6.5 sacks, with 16 QB pressures on the season. In his final season in 2022, he once again played in all 15 games, starting in eight, and had 26 total stops and 20 QB pressures to go along with three sacks.

Here is what FanNation's NFL Draft Bible had to say about Beal in an overview.

"Very aggressive pass rusher with a tireless motor and someone who is great at finishing plays. He has a very quick first step which allows him to get into an offensive lineman's body and push them back. Rushes from both outside position and inside position, so he is someone you always have to find pre-snap. Brings a lot of energy when he is on the field. Listed at 6’4, but looks smaller on film. Didn’t have much overall production at Georgia, but had impressive sack numbers for the amount he was on the field. He doesn’t have the most extensive amount of pass rush moves, but what he uses he is very good at."

Sounds like Beal has a lot of untapped potential and can be a great rotational player on the edge for the 49ers. It's all on Beal to put in the work and Kocurek to get the most out of him, which given his track record is likely to happen.