Arkansas Draft Prospect: Jake Bequette-Future Cowboy?

By:  Bobby Shores

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This is the first part of a multi-part series on Arkansas Draft Prospects, coming soon Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Jerry Franklin, Broderick Green and Grant Cook

Anybody who is a regular reader (thanks mom, dad and kids) knows that I am a huge Arkansas fan, and because of that I have a very good bead on the players and if they will be good in the NFL. To that effect I want to address a few of them that are going in the draft, and partially because I think that a few of them would fit the Cowboys very well.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful #91 Jake Bequette

Jake Bequette-DE/OLB - This is one of the two players that I believe could be very useful for the Cowboys as not only a need, but also for his work ethic and leadership that he would bring to the locker room.

My favorite attribute that he brings to the table is versatility. At Arkansas he played at every position on the defensive line and I think he could do the same for the Cowboys AND also play a little linebacker in certain looks. Since Rob Ryan likes to move his players all over the field, dropping lineman back as safeties and putting corners on the line with their hand on the ground (ok maybe not quite this extreme but you get the point) he would be able to move all over. While he is slightly undersized (6'4 265) for the 3-4, I think he will put on 20+ pounds in the NFL. At the Senior Bowl he even switched from end to outside linebacker and improved greatly throughout the week, while it was definitely not natural for him, by the last day he was hanging with and blowing up some running backs. With his struggles against the run in a 3-point stance, I believe that he would play the run well standing up where its harder for an offensive tackle to get his hands on him.

He is best against the pass, and while he does not have great speed to get around the corner he plays with endless energy and hustle. Is always aware enough to try and disrupt the play by getting his arms up when the pass comes out or trying to get a hand on a running back, basically anything to throw the offense off if he can't get to the quarterback. The guy never quits, and a lot of the plays he made in college were because of effort, and effort alone. He is adequate against the run, but sometimes lets himself get pushed around by offensive tackles and after some time in an NFL weight room I think the size and strength that'd be added would make him very effective against the run.

Bequette also has some of the best intangibles in the draft in my opinion. His motor never slows down and he is in high gear all the time. He comes from a football player and is a 3rd generation Razorback (his grandfather, father and uncle all played) who takes football very seriously. He was a leader on the team and practices every practice like its a game and that will make the entire team better.

Some of the negatives on him is that he is just not a natural athlete, he has to work-and work hard-for everything he has gotten. He is not great in any one area and as I said before, his intangibles are what makes him a great football player. As kind of a "tweener" there is no guarantee that he will be able to handle the extra weight or be able to carve out a niche that I have laid out for him. He will most likely never be a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro player, or wow people with any one attribute.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful #91 Jake Bequette

The Cowboys have an Arkansas connection, but Jerry Jones seems to stay away from Arkansas players. He has only drafted one (Felix Jones) and has signed very few in his 20+ years of being the owner/GM/CEO/Head Coach of America's Team, but as the Razorbacks become more relevant they are putting more players in the NFL and it could be detrimental to the Cowboys to not draft some of their players. Heck, I think it was 2009 that he drafted two players out of the University of Cincinnati secondary and neither one made it the entire year (may want to fact check me on this one, but I know I am close).

Bequette may never be a starter, or even an every down player in the NFL, but I think he will carve out a niche on defense and make enough plays on special teams to be able to contribute from day one. He will add much needed versatility and depth at numerous positions on the front seven. His attitude, work ethic, motor, relentless drive to make a play, etc. will, in my opinion, make him a 10-15 year player and a fan favorite. The Cowboys need people on defense who put out 100% effort on every play, and their weakest positions on defense were the defensive line and outside linebacker backups; both spots that he will upgrade and play. With the lack of depth in this draft for 3-4 defensive ends, I think taking him in the 4th round would be a good call.

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