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2015 NFL Draft: Elite pass rusher Vic Beasley’s profile

By Daniel

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The NFL Scouting Combine serves as a place for NFL draft hopefuls to demonstrate their raw athletic ability. Every year a handful of prospects dominate the drills and demand the attention of every NFL coaching staff. The former Clemson Tigers star defensive end, Vic Beasley, is one of those prospects. He is swiftly climbing NFL draft boards and is regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Despite the fact that Beasley played defensive end in college, he may end up playing outside linebacker in the NFL because of his size. However, many players have successfully made the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker at the professional level.

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Elite pass rushers are extremely coveted in the NFL; especially because how much of a quarterback driven game the league has become. Translation: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Andrew Luck cannot throw an amazing touchdown pass if they’re laying on their back. Beasley will definitely be looked at as a potential defense-changing player. He’s the type of exciting prospect that you can build an entire scheme around.

He stands at 6 foot 3 and weighs 246 pounds, so he has NFL-appropriate size, but he is a rather slender player. That said, he did show up to the combine at least 10 pounds heavier than expected, which for a player such as himself, is only a positive. His not-bulky frame enables him to run with amazing speed (see combine results below). He will, however, have to prove that he can get through large blockers at the professional level. Everyone knows he will have no trouble getting around them.

How Does He Look On Tape?

Upon studying the tape on Vic Beasley it is clear that he is an exciting prospect. There is no wasted motion in his first step and that gives him elite burst off of the ball. Instinctually, he can track from sideline to sideline with ease and can even run down speedy ball carriers from behind. Beasley is a terror behind the line of scrimmage for more than just quarterbacks. His impact in the running game will continue to develop as he plays in more non-passing situations, too.

He’s a classic speed-rusher that relies mostly on his legs to get to the quarterback. His game tape does show that he can occasionally use his hands to shed blocks, but he’ll definitely want to work on developing a stronger bull rush to add to his game at the professional level. Although that will require him bulking up a bit in the coming months. If he can add a little more weight without compromising his elite speed he could end up being the top player in the 2015 NFL Draft. If a player like him develops a solid swim move he can become utterly unstoppable.

I would not doubt his capacity to learn new techniques and continue to develop. When it comes down to it, there is only one word to describe Beasely: playmaker.

Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

How Did He Play In College?

Vic Beasley got his first taste of real collegiate action as a sophomore and he made a name for himself early. He recorded eight sacks playing primarily in pass-rush situations. In that season he showed glimpses of greatness, but it would be over his last two years at Clemson that would cement his legacy as an all-time great Tiger.

In his junior season he recorded 13 sacks and became known as one of the top pass-rushers in the ACC. He totaled 23 tackles for loss in 2013 and was named Consensus All-American. Beasley followed up his junior campaign with a huge senior season in 2014. He, despite battling multiple injuries, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as he racked up 12 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.

In college, Beasley totaled 33 sacks, 52.5 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, and 11 passes defended. As J.J. Watt is proving in the NFL, pass-rushers that can knock down passes at the line of scrimmage are incredibly valuable. He also scored two touchdowns in his career; I told you that he is a playmaker.

How Great Was He At The Combine?

Lets just say that Vic Beasley could end up being a top 15 draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. In case that wasn’t clear — he tore up the combine. There is no way I can see him not being selected in the first round. He simply has too much potential to not be taken early.

At the NFL Scouting Combine he ran a 4.53 40 yard dash, which was the fastest time of his group and position. To put that into perspective, quarterback Marcus Mariota and running back Melvin Gordon both ran a 4.52 at the combine. He backed up his game tape by demonstrating his incredible speed in Indianapolis. The fact that he was still able to run with such unparalleled speed despite adding at least 10 pounds to his frame is very impressive. That, among other things, must be very enticing for NFL coaches.

Beasley was tied with one other prospect at the combine for the most reps of the 225 pound bench press (a whopping 35). That player weighed 321 pounds. His dominance of the drills didn’t end there. He had the best vertical jump of his group (41 inches), as well as the top broad jump (10’10).  He also posted the second-best 10-yard burst (1.59).

Athletes like Beasley simply don’t come around very often.

Who Might Draft Him?

There are numerous places that would make a lot of sense for Beasley to end up. Those teams include the Chicago Bears (7th pick), Atlanta Falcons (8th pick), New Orleans Saints (13th pick), Cincinnati Bengals (21st pick), Pittsburgh Steelers (22nd pick), and the Dallas Cowboys (27th pick).

As you can see, elite pass rushers are always in great demand. All of these teams would benefit from drafting Beasley. Although I wouldn’t count on him being available by the midway point of the first round. That said, we are still two months out from the 2015 NFL Draft and a lot of things can chance in that amount of time.

Vic Beasley would seem to be a starter from day one for whichever team selects him. He may be brought on slowly and play primarily in passing situations early on, but as a first round selection he’ll very much be expected to be a three-down player moving forward. Whichever team drafts him will significantly upgrade their overall pass rush and he is, in my opinion, as close to a home run selection that the 2015 NFL Draft offers. He could be a star as soon as next fall in the NFL.

Would you like it if your team pulled the trigger on Beasley or do you think there are better pass-rushing options available?

Next: Beasley Lands With An AFC North Team In This 2015 NFL Mock Draft

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