2015 NFL Draft: First round winners and losers analyzed

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons had the NFL’s last-ranked defense in 2014 and they took a huge step in the first round. With the 8th overall pick the Dirty Birds selected Vic Beasley, the top pure pass rusher in the draft class. The outside linebacker has elite burst and should be able to contribute from the first snap next season.

This pick is perfect for the Falcons because they didn’t have to reach for him; they had him valued at their slot and pulled the trigger when he was available. Although they may have gotten lucky as some thought that Beasley would have been snagged before Atlanta got to pick. This pick wasn’t shocking by any means as most people figured that the Falcons would use their pick to bolster the defense. It’s true that a great pass rusher can even make the secondary better and that is exactly what the Falcons are counting on.

Atlanta will use Beasley as an edge pass-rusher and he will be able to attack the quarterback with his hand in the ground or standing. He is a versatile player and he’ll make this entire defense better as a rookie. This fall we’ll get to see the potential ripple effects that Beasley’s impact on this defense will have, but who knows how big of an impact he’ll have.

I’ll say it now, I expect that he will be in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year at the season’s end. Although maybe I just get too excited about pure pass rushers…who knows.

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