Which 49ers Rookie Will be a Surprise Key Contributor in 2023?

Nine players were taken by the San Francisco 49ers in their 2023 draft class.

The headlining picks were safety Ji'Ayir Brown and kicker Jake Moody. Brown was a sweet ball-hawking prospect, so the excitement with him is high. Moody was a controversial pick, but the 49ers needed a kicker with Robbie Gould gone.

Expectations on these two rookies to be contributors are high, but what about the rest of the draft class? The 49ers had most of their draft picks on Day 3, which tends to be their sweet spot, particularly Round 5. That means there is bound to be a player who ends up being a surprise key contributor. So, which 49ers rookie will be that in 2023?

I think that player will be defensive end Robert Beal Jr.

The depth on the defensive line isn't as stellar for the 49ers as it has been in year's past. Much of that has to do with the exodus in free agency of Charles Omenihu, Samson Ebukam, and Jordan Willis. Because of that, Beal should get some opportunities to showcase his skills and carve himself a role. The 49ers love to rotate their defensive line heavily, so all it takes is for Beal to look good for a few reps for defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to incorporate him more.

Beal played at the University of Georgia, so he should be familiar and accustomed to playing in a high level environment. I don't think playing on one of the best defenses in the league that is known for its vaunted pass rush will intimidate him. Rather, I believe he can rise to the occasion. He certainly has the potential already considering he checked the boxes for an analytic process the 49ers use for defensive lineman called "GTFO," which measures the explosiveness of a lineman's first two-yard get off.

Defensive linemen tend to be effective and have their moments with the 49ers. Even Drake Jackson did in the first half of the season in 2022. Beal can very well be that guy and I think he has the best chance out of all the rookies to do so with the default opportunities and his ability to be able to earn more as the season progresses.