Clemson Tigers defensive end Vic Beasley (3) participates in warm ups prior to the Tigers game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this week, it was reported by multiple outlets that Clemson Tigers star pass rusher Vic Beasley would declare for the 2014 NFL Draft, and Beasley is such a talented pass rusher that he could even be a top ten pick if all goes well for him in the pre-draft process. He’s a lock to be a first-round pick, too, and it was also reported that the speedy DE was looking at agents to sign with earlier this week.
But it looks like the momentum might be swinging the other way, if this report is true. According to multiple sources close to Yahoo! Sports’s Rand Getlin, who has been money with reporting news related to draft prospects this year, Vic Beasley “is now leaning toward” staying in school and playing as a redshirt senior for Clemson next season.
Since there were two other reports, including one from Neil Stratton, that recently stated that Beasley would be declaring, it’s difficult to say that Beasley will be staying with the Tigers for his senior season, especially since Getlin’s report only states that the DE is “leaning”. It’s a murky situation now thanks to this report that cites multiple sources, but I would still expect Beasley to declare. That said, his status in the draft is no longer a lock, so it’s worth keeping an eye on future reports that will likely end up circulating soon. Due to the nature of reporting news on draft prospects- things change, different sources say different things and even well-connected ones can be wrong- it’s always important to keep an eye out for everything.
Beasley was given a second-round grade by the NFL Draft Advisory Board, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told his players that those who did not receive a first-round grade should probably stay in school. That’s a hogwash statement from Swinney, because the Advisory Board is incredibly conservative with their projections of some first-round prospects. Beasley is given a second-round grade, but that’s essentially a “20s” grade from the Board. He has a great shot of getting picked in the first round, and it’s hard to believe that he will stay in school. It’s starting to looks like a real toss-up, though, so we’ll see if Swinney is able to convince his best pass rusher to stay.