1. He Is Recovering From A Knee Injury
This one isn’t exactly a “fun” fact about Kendell Beckwith. Back on Nov. 19, Beckwith left the game against Florida, his final game at Tiger Stadium, with an injury. Weeks later, he was ruled out for LSU’s bowl game after it was reported that he was dealing with a torn ACL. His senior season ended abruptly and his draft stock fell. He was likely going to be a sure thing on day two of the draft before he sustained the injury. Yes, he ended up being the last pick on day two, but he probably would’ve gone much earlier without the injury.
Per an update from The Advocate back in March, Beckwith is about “70 or 75 percent healthy” and expects to be ready for full speed by late July or early August. If that is the case, then he will likely be able to participate in training camp. The Buccaneers would likely still ease him in to make sure he’s at full strength.
Drafting a player that is coming off of a major knee injury usually isn’t ideal, but Buccaneers GM Jason Licht had to know that Beckwith was doing well in recovery. Once he is back at full strength, his downhill tackling ability will be a big plus for an improving Buccaneer defense.