Atlanta Falcons improve pass rush with Vic Beasley

Vic Beasley may just be the best pure pass-rusher in the 2015 NFL Draft. With their need for one, the Atlanta Falcons made a wise choice in drafting the Clemson product.

The Atlanta Falcons have only 116 sacks in the past four years. That number is good enough, well bad enough for the least in the league in that timespan. After hiring Dan Quinn to be the head coach, who previously was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, the Falcons needed to go after a top-tier pass-rusher.

Last year, the Falcons drafted Ra’Shede Hageman in the second round. The defensive tackle has unreal potential, as his explosiveness from the interior part of the defensive line really is impressive. By drafting Beasley, the Falcons now have two young players who will be mainstays on the defensive line for years to come.

On top of Hageman and Beasley, the Falcons added Tyson Jackson and Adrian Clayborn in free agency, so it’s safe to say that the Falcons are going to improve one of their weaknesses from the past few years. With Quinn running the defense, I expect the Falcons to blitz a lot. However, being a blitz-happy team wouldn’t make sense if the Falcons didn’t have the resources. With the additions of Jackson, Clayborn, and Beasley, they now have some players who could provide some matchup problems.

NFLNetwork’s Mike Mayock had this to say about Beasley.

"“Beasley’s easily the best athlete among the edge rushers. On Day, I think he’s going to be a situational pass rusher while he learns to set the edge.” — Mike Mayock"

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At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Beasley is slim to play left defensive end in Quinn’s 4-3 defensive scheme. Many draft experts have considered Beasley to be the best 3-4 outside linebacker in this draft class. However, by adding Beasley, it’s clear that the Falcons believe that Beasley can be productive in their scheme. Beasley has been criticized for his weight, but with an NFL conditioning program and an NFL weight room, he’ll have the chance to put on at least 10-15 pounds of muscle before the season begins.

Nevertheless, Beasley is a freak off the line of scrimmage. He’s a quick-twitch player. He’s always the first guy to move off the snap of the football. He plays with excellent burst. Beasley is excellent at flipping his hands in what is known as a “spill” technique. He’s quick enough to get skinny and get through the offensive line. His speed alone tells me he’ll be a menace for opposing tackles.

In terms of pass-rushing ability, I truly believe that Beasley is the best one in this draft class. He possesses long arms to pair with his burst. He has a ridiculous swim move and once he adds muscle, his spin move could become elite. If he is given the playing time, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Beasley finished with around 8-10 sacks in his rookie campaign alone.

The Falcons needed to upgraded their pass rush this offseason. Now that they have some players across their front seven, it will be that much easier for Desmond Trufant in the secondary to create turnovers. Beasley slipped a little bit, but the two parties really are perfect sense for each other.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: 5 best offseason moves

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