Before the NFL combine, the biggest knock on Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley was his size.
Therefore, it was a surprise that Beasley ultimately weighed 246 pounds at 6'3" when he was measured during the combine. When you couple his measurements with his outstanding performances in the drills, it's easy to understand why Beasley's stock has risen sharply.
You must be wary of any prospect whose stock takes a large jump because of the combine. The combine is a useful tool, but ultimately it is a smaller piece of the evaluation puzzle.
What Beasley did on the field in college is much more indicative of what he will do in the NFL than what he did at the combine. Fortunately for Beasley, his combine performance was about answering concerns about his transition to the NFL rather than establishing his ability. Beasley had already established his ability with his performances on the field; the combine simply solidified his status as a top prospect.
The 22-year-old played four seasons in college. He compiled 33 total sacks during that time, including 25 over his final two seasons, and 52.5 tackles for loss, including 44.5 over his final two seasons.
Beasley likely won't ever be more than an adequate run defender in the NFL, but that is all he needs to be. That is because he projects to be an outstanding pass-rusher if he can develop properly once he is drafted. In a passing league, Beasley's skill set is what teams should value.
Much like Robert Quinn of the St. Louis Rams, Beasley's pass rush is largely built on his speed.
Credit: Draftbreakdown.com As the above image highlights, Beasley was regularly the farthest lineman downfield during his time at Clemson. He can be inconsistent anticipating the snap, so he is much faster off the line at times. But even when he doesn't anticipate the snap well he has the explosion to get positioning against offensive tackles.
On this play he is facing Cameron Erving, a potential first-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Erving isn't quick for an offensive tackle, so Beasley is taking advantage of a relatively weak spot for him. However, he is still an impressive athlete for the college level, and he is a player who could be drafted as an offensive tackle, even though he is more likely to be drafted as a center.
After only a couple of steps, Beasley is able to get level with Erving. Critically, Erving's feet are facing the sideline when he contacts the defensive end, so he has been forced to abandon his drop to an extent to contain Beasley. This is what Beasley's speed at the snap is going to do to NFL offensive tackles.
When you watch the play through, the speed and hand usage stand out.
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Beasley understands how to use his hands to put himself in position to leverage his weight through contact. Erving is a strong blocker who can be effective against much bigger defensive ends than Beasley. Yet, he can't overcome Beasley's combination of speed and strength when he is trying to recover his positioning.
Speed alone isn't enough to be an effective pass-rusher in the NFL; you need to understand and be able to take advantage of the benefits it provides.
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On this play from the same game against the same offensive tackle, Beasley shows aggressive hands as Erving attempts to engage him. Erving appears to hesitate when Beasley makes that aggressive move, so the defensive end actually makes no contact with the offensive tackle.
The impact is the same though.
Beasley is able to get past Erving and to a point where the offensive tackle can't push him out of the play. It's important that Beasley shows off the resilience, body control and strength to fend off Erving's desperate attempt to push him to the ground/past his quarterback.
When Beasley's hands and feet are working in concert, it's very difficult to prevent him from penetrating the pocket.
Credit: Draftbreakdown.com
Credit: Draftbreakdown.com
His burst from a standing start, his hand usage, balance and fluidity coming off the edge make him a terror to handle when he does so. Beasley doesn't necessarily need a lot of space to excel, but when he is given it his sheer talent is going to cause even the best offensive tackles in the NFL problems.
Even though Beasley had great measurements and workouts at the combine, he is likely still going to end up as a 3-4 outside linebacker instead of a 4-3 defensive end.
That doesn't mean he can't be a 4-3 defensive end. He could easily fit in the Chris Clemons role as a defensive end for Gus Bradley's Jacksonville Jaguars. That would require the Jaguars to select him third overall unless a trade partner became available.
If the Jaguars do draft Beasley, they may want to adjust their approach to take advantage of his ability to drop into coverage.
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Dropping high-quality pass-rushers into coverage is typically a bad idea, but it's still valuable to have a player who can do it effectively. A high-quality pass-rusher who can drop into space comfortably adds another dimension to his defense's blitz packages.
His presence alone helps to create a layer of doubt in the mind of the opposing quarterback.
A coach such as Dick LeBeau, who is now with the Tennessee Titans, previously made excellent use of an excellent pass-rusher who could drop into space: James Harrison. Harrison and LaMarr Woodley were a great pass-rushing duo, but Woodley primarily only covered backs in the flat when he was in coverage.
Harrison was more like Beasley during his prime. Harrison had the fluidity, quick feet, awareness and balance to move around the field and carry out different assignments. Whoever drafts Beasley should use the blueprint that LeBeau created with Harrison all those years ago.
Beasley's value against the pass is largely unquestioned. His ability against the run is somewhat understated though.
Although he won't dominate double-teams or always get the better of offensive tackles on the edge, Beasley shows off good awareness and strength at the point of contact. He wasn't simply brushed out of plays when he faced double-teams in college, and he showed the ability to penetrate his way toward backs with his strength.
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One thing is for sure, Beasley won't simply be a player offenses can block out of plays with your average tight end. He is strong enough (35 bench press reps) and smart enough to punish inadequate blockers, even those plying their trade at the NFL level.
The combine didn't make Vic Beasley. It simply erased the remaining doubts about his quality.
He won't be the consensus top pass-rusher because this class offers plenty of variety and quality for analysts, coaches and scouts to choose from. Beasley should go in the top 10 of the draft, though, and the team that acquires him isn't simply relying on an athlete who needs to develop into a football player.
Beasley is a natural pass-rusher with the physical talent to be a star in the NFL. NFL teams desperately search for that kind of player every single offseason. The scarcity of those players should make Beasley one of the more sought-after prospects in the draft this year.
He may not become Robert Quinn, but Quinn is at the ceiling of edge defenders in the NFL. Beasley can reach a few rungs below the St. Louis Rams defensive end and still become a superstar.
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