PFF scouting report: Kendell Beckwith, LB, LSU

Name: Kendell Beckwith

School: LSU

Position fit: 3-4 inside linebacker

Stats to know: Missed 14 tackles in 10 games in 2016 and ranked 260th among FBS ILBs in tackling efficiency.

What he does best:

• At 6-foot-2, 243 pounds, with 33-inch arms, he has solid measurables for his position.
• Not afraid to deliver a blow when he does attack blockers (and runners) at the line of scrimmage.
• Aggressiveness in short-yardage situations allows him to beat blockers to the point of attack, putting him in position for big stops.

Biggest concern:

• Doesn’t stay over his feet when strafing laterally, causing him to lose balance too easily.
• Struggles with blockers despite physicality; will stop his feet on contact, wait for them to come to him at second level or try to run around them and lose gap integrity.
• Misses tackles because he leaves his feet and struggles to break down and wrap up.
• Tore his left ACL against Florida Nov. 19.
• Poor feel for cut blocks; does not use his hands well to protect his frame and too easily taken down.
• Lacks speed to cover in space as well as consistently make plays to the boundary without taking conservative angles.
• Looks lost at times in zone coverage; struggles to identify and close on targets, will guess early on route concepts and get out of position.

Player comparison: Nick Bellore, Detroit Lions

Bellore spent the majority of his first five years in the NFL on special teams, where Beckwith will also need to cut his teeth. Bellore has the prerequisite size for the position, but is not a consistent tackler, and limited athleticism makes him a liability in coverage.

Bottom line: Speed issues should limit Beckwith not only to inside linebacker for a 3-4 team, where he’ll have less room to operate than in a 4-3, but to run downs as well. He lacks the speed to pursue to the boundary, as well as stay with tight ends and backs in coverage, and appears to lack natural instincts in zone coverage as well. Unfortunately for him, in order to play inside at the next level he needs to be a consistent tackler and do an effective job of taking on blocks, and his college film does not show either of these skill sets. Combine these issues with his current ACL recovery and Beckwith will be fighting for a roster spot.