The Atlanta Falcons drafted Vic Beasley will the full expectation he would be able to get after the quarterback as a pass rusher.
Beasley, however, believes his skills can bring much more to the table. Speaking at the NFL’s rookie symposium, Beasley said he believes he can be an every-down defensive player for the Falcons.
“I think I’m an every-down player. I think that’s just motivation for me to go out there and prove that I can be an every-down player,” he said, via Tiffany Blackmon of NFL.com.
Beasley’s most often comparison is to Seattle Seahawks former first-round pick Bruce Irvin.
Irvin was drafted to get after the quarterback and only played as situational rusher during his rookie season with the Seahawks, recording a rookie-leading eight sacks in 2012. Irvin has since been moved to a strong-side linebacker position and has become an every down-player for Seattle.
Beasley might end up following a similar path with Atlanta under former Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Beasley may not make the conversion to linebacker like Irvin did, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t work into a full-time player in much the same fashion.