Atlanta Falcons: Could Vic Beasley have 20 sacks in 2017?
Vic Beasley had a coming-out party for the Atlanta Falcons last season as he led the NFL in sacks, but could he increase his total further in Year 3?
When the Atlanta Falcons took Vic Beasley out of Clemson with the No. 8 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, they expected him to have an immediate impact as an edge rusher. Unfortunately, that wasn’t so much the case as a rookie for Beasley. In fact, it was easy to forget about the top-10 pick in the 2015 season.
In his rookie campaign, Beasley played in all 16 games, but managed a mere four sacks on the season. Given that he’s not on the field for his run defense, he was largely just ineffective for the Falcons in his debut season. That took a stark turn for the positive in the 2016 season, however.
Beasley exploded one year ago to lead the league in sacks with 15.5. Though his run defense was still lacking, his pass rushing improved dramatically and he reaped the benefits of it. Now set to enter his third year with the Falcons, the hope would be that he has another step forward to take. That begs the question, then: Could Vic Beasley be in store for a 20-sack season?
Obviously adding 4.5 more sacks to his total doesn’t seem like a huge jump, especially having jumped 11.5 from his rookie year to his second season in the league. However, few players sniff that 20-sack mark with any kind of regularity in their career. So for Beasley to do so in Year 3 would be a huge feat.
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With that being said, the pieces are most certainly in place to make that possible. The Falcons made a concerted effort this offseason to both deepen and improve their defense. And many of the pieces that are now in Atlanta could help pave the way to a 20-sack campaign for the third-year edge defender.
The most obvious addition in regards to Beasley is rookie Takkarist McKinley. Though he’s still recovering from shoulder surgery this offseason, the UCLA product has huge pass rushing potential. He’s fast and packs a punch with his frame, allowing him to beat tackles on the edge in a variety of ways.
Adding a player the caliber of McKinley opposite of Beasley is enormously beneficial to the 2016 NFL sack champion. Opposing offenses will now have less leeway in trying to account for Beasley on one edge as they also have to worry about the rookie opposite him. The result could be easier matchups for Beasley, thus leading to more consistent pressure.
However, McKinley isn’t alone in alleviating the attention that can be paid to Beasley. The Falcons also added free-agent Dontari Poe at defensive tackle on a one-year deal. Though he had a down 2016 overall, he was still a force in terms of his pass rushing up the middle. That’s yet another pass rushing body opposing offenses will have to account for. And again, that means more favorable looks for Beasley on the edge.
What’s more, the Falcons also boast a young secondary that was good last season, but should be even better as they progress coming into 2017. As such, opposing quarterbacks will theoretically have to hold on to the ball longer as their pass-catchers try to get open. That means more time for Beasley to get off his blocks and put quarterbacks in the dirt.
Next: NFL 2017: Ranking the 30 best pass rushers
Expecting Beasley to have 20 sacks in the 2017 season would be a lofty goal. However, given the 15.5 sacks from 2015 and the improvements on the defense that should, in theory, open his lanes up further, it’s most definitely in play.