Durkin's Prospect Watch: OLB Vic Beasley
By Dan Durkin—
(CBS) When assembling their draft boards, college scouts must project future success based on a variety of variables -- collegiate production, football character and athletic makeup. Some have missed projecting athletes more than football players, which demonstrates the fine line between boom and bust.
Today we take a look at one of the draft's fastest-rising edge rushers: Clemson's Vic Beasley.
OLB Vic Beasley (6-foot-3, 246 pounds, 22, Clemson)
40-yard dash: 4.53
Three-cone: 6.91
Bench: 35
Vertical: 41"
Arm: 32 1/2"
Bio: Beasley arrived at Clemson as a four-star running back and linebacker recruit, but he transitioned to an edge player at Clemson. As a redshirt sophomore, Beasley's eight-sack season earned him honorable mention sophomore All-American honors. As a junior, Beasley dominated the ACC, registering 23 tackles for loss and 13 sacks as he became a consensus All-American. He received a second-round grade from the NFL's advisory board, so he returned for his senior season. Last year at Clemson, he registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, and he was again a first-team All-American.
In all, Beasley made 25 starts at Clemson, finishing with 52.5 tackles for loss (fourth in Clemson history), 33 sacks (most in Clemson history), seven forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles and two touchdowns. His 33 sacks all came over the final 39 games of his career.
Beasley rushed as both a hand-on-the-ground defensive end and a stand-up outside linebacker at Clemson, but he may be best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the NFL level. He's the most athletic and productive edge rusher in the 2015 NFL draft.
How he fits the Bears' scheme: Beasley is an ideal fit as a weak-side outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme (think Aldon Smith). While he has the hips and footwork to play in space and drop into coverage, he would be best deployed from the edge initially with one job -- get the quarterback.
Beasley converts speed to power better than any of his counterparts to overwhelm blockers. He has a lightning-quick first step off the snap, which enables him to set blockers up with his feet, and flashes a devastating spin move. Not only does he win matchups with speed, he also wins them with power, playing with violent and active hands on a bull rush. He's a strong hand fighter, showcasing a variety of moves -- chop, hump, arm over and under.
There were concerns about Beasley being too slight heading into the NFL Combine, but he answered any doubts and elevated his stock by turning in the best performance in Indianapolis. Beasley put on 11 pounds, weighing in at 246, and proceeded to put up the top 40-yard (edge speed), vertical jump (explosion) and bench press (strength) numbers in his group. Such numbers have thrust him into the conversation as the top overall prospect in the edge rusher category, given the combination of his athletic profile and collegiate production.
Draft projection: Beasley is the top outside linebacker prospect in this class and should be a top-10 selection.
Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @djdurkin.
