The Dolphins have officially signed edge rusher Robert Beal Jr. Originally a fifth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, Beal has appeared in 25 NFL games, playing both on defense and special teams. Beal Jr. has totaled 30 tackles and one sack over a three-year career.
1. Out of the blocks
Beal Jr.'s physical makeup presents plenty of intrigue. At 247 pounds, Beal Jr. blazed a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. He joined elite company, with that time ranking in the 99th percentile all time among defensive ends. His 10-yard split was also in the 99th percentile at 1.56 seconds. Those metrics, along with a 92nd-percentile broad jump (10-3), highlight Beal Jr.'s explosiveness out of a three- and four-point stance.
That initial speed gives Beal Jr. the opportunity to put offensive tackles in early peril. Then, with arms longer than 34.5 inches, he has the tools to defeat his man's hands and condense the pocket. As Beal Jr. looks to harness his natural talents and blossom in Miami, that get-off and length combination is a defensive line/outside linebacker coach's dream, especially in the development portion of the calendar throughout spring and summer.
2. Twice a national champion
A Georgia transplant, by way of Detroit, Beal Jr. stayed close to his second home for his college career. Before suiting up for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, Beal Jr. spent a year in Florida. He transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, but went back home for his senior year at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia.
Beal Jr.'s circuitous prep route earned him a five-star rating and a scholarship at one of the nation's most dominant football programs, where he won a pair of national championships (2021 and 2022). He played 30 games over those two seasons, tallying 9.5 sacks and 49 total tackles.
San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch spoke about the process of drafting Beal in back in 2023.
"Beal's a really, really gifted athlete," Lynch said in 2023. "You rely a lot on relationships in this thing, and Kirby Smart's been good to us. He's got a lot of players. Kirby said someone's going to get a really gifted and talented player if they just let this guy go hunt QBs and set edges, and when he said that, that's exactly what we do."
3. Core special teamer
Including the playoffs, Beal Jr. played 307 snaps on defense through three seasons with the 49ers, but most of his contributions came on special teams.
The length, size and speed pair well when it comes to chasing down kicks. Beal Jr. played more than half of San Francisco's special teams snaps over the last three seasons, totaling 445 reps.
There's skill to effective special teams play, but that skill is supplemented most by effort. When it comes to Beal Jr.'s tape, effort is the first thing that jumps off the screen. Whether he's taking on a pulling guard, chasing down an outside run to the other side of the field, or covering a punt, the strain in his game is evident.
In Beal Jr., the Dolphins are getting a high-motor player with burst and length. He'll have a chance to develop those traits, and more, this offseason as the Dolphins return to the grass for OTAs and training camp.
For more analysis and insight on the Dolphins new acquisitions, download the Drive Time podcast with Travis Wingfield.
