Name: Vic Beasley
College: Clemson
Class: Senior
Position: Edge Rusher
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 236
Background/Character | Leadership: 10 | Experience: 10 | Off-the-Field: 10 |
| Mental Capacity: 9 | Mental Toughness: 9 | Durability: 9 |
Vic Beasley is one of the cleanest prospects of the 2015 draft class. He was a leader on and off the field for the Clemson Tiger program, often serving as the catalyst for the defense to play well. There are no off-the-field issues in his past, and no reason to think that will change. His size could lead to durability issues, but they were not an issue in college.
Final Grade: 9.5
Athleticism | Balance: 9 | C.O.D: 10 | Explosiveness: 10 |
| Flexibility: 10 | Coordination: 10 | Body Type: 8 |
Although Beasley has a small frame for an edge rusher, he has elite burst off the snap to help compensate for his length. His body is always under complete control, which also allows him to change directions on a dime. Beasley has value as an outside linebacker with his fluidity in coverage as well. His hip and ankle flexion is rare to find.
Final Grade: 9.5
Overall | Football IQ: 9 | Tackling: 8 | Motor: 9 |
| Aggressiveness: 9 | Initial Quicks: 10 | Stamina: 10 |
One thing Beasley should never be accused of is being soft or lacking effort. He returned after a dominant junior season to improve his abilities and was just as impressive as a senior. Opposing offenses avoided plays to his side of the field because of his ability to be in the right place to make a play on the ball.
Final Grade: 9.16
Run Defense | Range: 9 | Pursuit: 9 | Positioning: 8 |
| Read/React: 10 | Block Shedding: 8 | Hole Clogging: 8 |
He’s undersized, which holds him back from setting the edge on run plays especially well, but he works to get into position. He reads plays in elite fashion, as he always seems to know where the play is heading. His technical hand use can be improved, and if he does, he will be a terror to defend against. He is excellent cleaning up plays from the weak side.
Final Grade: 8.66
Pass Defense | Vision: 9 | Rip/Swim Rush: 9 | Bull Rush: 7 |
| Counter Rush: 8 | Edge Quickness: 10 | Vs. Doubles: 8 |
Beasley stars as a pass rusher because of his quickness and ability to bend the edge. There aren't many guys who can match his level of athleticism and natural pass rush talent. He has a great swim move that helps him split doubles. Expect Beasley to continue to improve in this area as he adds complimentary rush moves to augment his athleticism.
Final Grade: 8.5
| Player Comparison: | Bruce Irvin/Von Miller |
| Projected Draft Position: | 1st Round |
| Best Scheme Fit: | 4-3 WLB/3-4 Edge |
| Injury History: | No major injuries |
| Career Accolades: | 1st-Team All-American in 2013 & 2014 |
| Career Stats: | 84 tackles, 32 sacks, 5 forced fumbles |
Final Analysis
Great talent mixed with high character and leadership tends to create high impact players in the NFL. That’s why Vic Beasley can overcome his somewhat short stature and below average length to become one many solid pass rushers.
Most may pigeonhole Beasley as a pure 3-4 edge rusher, but his ability to shoot gaps as the weakside defender and close on the ball carrier suggests he can play off the ball and excel there as well. Vic has a great tendency to keep his hands very active and this leads to deflected passes and forced fumbles.
Finding another player with the pure speed as a pass rusher is very difficult. He will get pancaked on occasion, but his balance and change of direction ability keep linemen guessing throughout the game. He’s a tough player to defeat in space.
Beasley projects as a high impact starter as he adds more counter pass rush moves to his arsenal.
Final Grade: 9.05 - 1st round value