Sauce Gardner was the notable University of Cincinnati defender selected to come to New York in the NFL Draft – but five rounds and 178 picks later, the Giants got in on the Bearcat loving by selecting LB Darrian Beavers at No. 182 overall.
“It was a dream come true, something I've always pushed for and strived for to be in the NFL,” Beavers said Saturday night after the selection. “That opportunity has come, so now I have to go and prove that I belong here.”
Unlike Gardner, who all but knew his name would be called before the picks turned to double-digits, Beavers didn’t know when or if he would be selected.
“You have to close your mind when it comes to that stuff. You have to just know that being drafted in general is a blessing, so I feel like me knowing that I'm in the draft is a blessing,” he said. “I had to keep (positive) and wait for my phone to ring.”
Finally it did, from a Giants team that did their due diligence on him and – stop us if you’ve heard this – liked the versatility he brings to the table at linebacker.
“Versatile piece, he played inside and he played outside. I was at his pro day, he did some stuff as an outside rusher and that looks like something that may be part of the package,” GM Joe Schoen said. “Like his versatility to be inside, outside, and play on special teams.”
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As a sixth-round pick, special teams is a likely role that can make a difference, and as head coach Brian Daboll has said, “the more you can do, the more we can do.” That’s a mindset Beavers takes seriously, as he strives to learn as much as he can about as many spots on the X and O chart as he can.
“I think every year except this past year, I played special teams and I played every one, so I have a lot of experience on special teams,” he said. “And my football intelligence, I’d say that I'm very intelligent when it comes to knowing what the offense is going to do, picking up on plays, picking up on anything, so I feel like I can bring that to the table right away.”
He’s already had to prove that in college, as he was a safety in college that converted to linebacker when he committed to UConn – where, as a freshman, he played on the same defense as ex-Jet Foley Fotukasi – and turned down a chance to walk on at his hometown school, Ohio State, as a receiver.
“(Linebacker was) the best fit,” he said of the switch. “Like I said, I'm very versatile when it comes to stuff like that. The coaches thought it was the best fit for me and so did I, so I switched positions and it worked out for me. So I feel like just me being versatile, me being able to switch positions and still succeed is something I bring to the table.”
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Beavers played two years in Randy Edsall’s system at UConn, the first as a linebacker before becoming a down lineman. He then transferred to Cincinnati, where he moved back to LB, albeit as move of an edge rusher – he played the “Sniper” position, a strong-side linebacker who moved to end as needed in rush situations – and all of that movement makes him, in his eyes, a perfect fit for Wink Martindale’s multiple-scheme defensive alignments.
“I don't think it matters. I can be very successful in any defense and any position out there,” he said. “You put me in a 3-4, outside or inside, I'll be very successful. If you put me in a 4-3 inside backer, I'd be fine with that, too.”
He’s also fine with having a buddy in town, even if he’s on the opposite side of the MetLife complex.
“It will be nice to compete against him and here in New York, we'll have something that we have got to catch up sometime,” Beavers said. “I’m excited to come to New York with him, it’s a blessing.”
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Just don’t expect Beavers to be rocking the crazy bling like Gardner was on draft night anytime soon.
“I mean, that's Sauce, he has that flash to him, that style to him,” Beavers laughed. “So that's something that he will always has. I didn't expect nothing else from him.”
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