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Clemson Football: Vic Beasley 2015 NFL Combine Preview

By Dan Kelley

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Former Clemson football star Vic Beasley heads to the 2015 NFL Combine this week hoping to cement his status as a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Beasley will go through his on-the-field workouts on Sunday, joining the other defensive linemen and linebackers, along with several of his Tiger teammates.

Clemson football career:

Vic Beasley may have been the most dominant defensive athlete to ever come through the Clemson football program.

Although he was ultimately snubbed for each award, Beasley was a semi-finalist for the Bednarik, the Lombardi, the Hendricks, and the Lott trophies in 2014. He was, however, an AP First-Team All-American, First-Team All-ACC (coaches and media) and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Last year, Beasley totaled 37 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, nine QB hurries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery that he brought back for a touchdown.

Related: 10 Most Valuable Clemson Football Players in 2014

Here’s how Beasley’s ClemsonTigers.com bio sums up his career:

"“Defensive end who emerged as one of the top pass rushers in the country in 2013 and was the same in 2014 … one of the team’s most athletic players … had 101 tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, 33 sacks, 29 quarterback pressures, 11 pass breakups, seven caused fumbles, two recovered fumbles and two touchdowns in 1,421 snaps over 48 games (25 starts) in his career … first in school history in sacks, fourth in tackles for loss and tied for seventh in caused fumbles … had at least one sack in eight consecutive games from 2013 (2) to 2014 (6) … was involved in a tackle for loss in each of his last 15 games … two-time, first-team All-American … two-time, First-Team All-ACC selection.”"

NFL Draft Projection:

NFL Draft Scout considers Beasley the No. 2 outside linebacker and the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft, and expects him to be drafted in the first round.

It also lists three mock drafts, all of which have Beasley going in the first round. They predict Beasley going to the Cardinals at No. 24, the Falcons at No. 8, and the Saints at No. 13.

What needs work?

The primary concern with Beasley is his size, and whether he has the strength and ability to set the edge against run plays. According to his NFL Combine profile, there is also some concern that Beasley lacks “alpha-dog tenacity.” That profile also says:

"“High cut with narrow waist and thin legs. Needs to add more bulk. Unlikely to convert speed to power against NFL tackles. Wins with athleticism on majority of his sacks. Rarely transitions from speed rush to spin as an instinctual pass-rush counter. Lacks ideal arm length. Too often content to stay blocked if pass rush stalls out. Needs to shed blocks more consistently against run.”"

Of course, none of this is insurmountable, which is why he is almost universally considered a first-round pick. Some of these concerns were also uttered about guys that Beasley is being compared to, like Von Miller and Bruce Irvin.

How much can the 2015 NFL Combine help?

The NFL Combine appears to have helped Beasley out quite a bit already, even before his on-the-field workouts. One of the biggest concerns scouts had about Beasley was his size, and his weigh-in should assuage most of those fears.

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Beasley is listed at 235 lbs. on the Clemson roster, so he apparently added 11 lbs. since the Russell Athletic Bowl. His current size is almost identical to what Miller and Irvin played at this season in the NFL and teams are going to love the idea of getting someone who compares to those two guys.

Assuming the added weight doesn’t hurt him in the 40-yard dash on Sunday, this news could lock him into the first half of the draft’s first round.

More 2015 NFL Combine previews:

Next: K.J. McDaniels Traded to Houston

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