The Atlanta Falcons today selected Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley in the first round (8th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Beasley, 6-3, 235 pounds, played in 48 games with 25 starts during his career at Clemson and amassed 101 tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, 33 sacks, 29 quarterback pressures, 11 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and scored two touchdowns. He ranks first in school history in sacks, fourth in tackles for loss, and tied for seventh in forced fumbles while also posting at least one sack in eight consecutive games between 2013 and 2014. Beasley was a two-time first-team All American and a two-time first-team All-ACC selection.
In 2014, Beasley was a finalist for the Bednarik, Lombardi, and Hendricks awards and a semifinalist for the Lott Impact Trophy. He was named the ACC Defensive Player-of-the-Year and a first-team all-conference selection by the league's media and coaches, and earned first-team All-America honors from AFCA, Associated Press, College Sports Madness, and Walter Camp. Beasley was named a second-team All-American by Athlon, CBS Sports, FWAA, Lindy's, Phil Steele, Scout.com, and USA Today as well as honorable mention All-American by SI.com. He played in 13 games with 12 starts last season, leading the team with 21.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Beasley also added 37 tackles, nine quarterback pressures, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and a 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
Beasley had a breakout season as a junior in 2013. He totaled 44 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures, six pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. He was a finalist for the Hendricks award and a semifinalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik awards in addition to earning first-team All-America and first-team All-ACC honors. Beasley also led the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles. He ranked third in the nation in tackles for loss, tied for third in sacks and tied for 10th in forced fumbles.
In 2012, Beasley earned honorable mention All-American from CollegeFootballNews.com after posting 18 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a team-high eight sacks, eight quarterback pressures, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He was the only underclassman to rank in the top 10 in the ACC in sacks that year and notched his first career sack against Auburn, thwarting the Tigers attempt at a game-tying score.
Beasley saw action in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2011, including the ACC Championship game against the No. 3 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Prior to arriving at Clemson, he was rated as the No. 16 athlete in the nation by ESPN while playing at Adairsville High School in Adairsville, Georgia. Beasley logged 120 rushes for 828 yards and seven scores as a running back during his senior season, while earning first-team all-state honors from AP and the Georgia Sportswriters Association. He also averaged a double-double on the hardwood for the AAU Georgia All-Stars. His father, Victor, played football at Auburn from 1982-84.
