51 Kendell Beckwith ILB

Beckwith (knee) signed his rookie contract with the Buccaneers on Tuesday, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com reports.

The last pick of the third round, Beckwith brings the skill level of a higher-ranked player, but fell in the draft due to an ACL tear he suffered in November while playing for LSU. He brings an impressive college resume and is expected to eventually compete with Devante Bond for starting strongside linebacker duties if he proves healthy in training camp.

Beckwith (knee), a 2017 third-round pick who is still recovering from a November 2016 ACL tear, is expected to make an impact this coming season despite being out until at least training camp, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "Without a doubt. I'm pretty confident in how I play and what I do," Beckwith said. "If they need me to play Sam (strongside linebacker), I'll play Sam. If they need me to play safety, I'll play safety. If they need me to play corner, I'll play corner. Just get me on the field."

The LSU alum racked up 263 tackles (124 solo), including 24.5 for loss, in 44 games with the Tigers. He added a well-rounded line of 7.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, one pick-six, three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles, so while Beckwith is guilty of embellishing his positional versatility a tad, his athletic prowess is unquestioned. The 6-foot-2, 243-pounder is also bigger in stature than the majority of the Bucs' current linebacker corps, and is favorably described as "big and violent" by some in the team's front office for his aggressive play. Beckwith could realistically step into the starting lineup at strongside linebacker if he proves capable in training camp and preseason, and he's expected to be ready to practice with minimal to no restrictions by the time the latter kicks off in late July. If he eventually works his way onto the first team, his rapid rise would mirror that of former college teammate Kwon Alexander, who vaulted over veteran Bruce Carter for the starting middle linebacker job in 2015 with a spectacular summer.

The Buccaneers selected Beckwith in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 107th overall.

Beckwith (6-foot-2, 243 pounds) is a three-year starter who was unable to work out before the draft due to a torn ACL suffered in November. He'll be hard-pressed for defensive snaps with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander locked in as Tampa's top two linebackers.