The Vegas Vipers had the first selection in the linebacker portion of the XFL Draft, and the franchise wasted little time before making its selection.
Their choice? Former Falcons edge rusher Vic Beasley.
That Beasley is in the XFL will surprise some. He was once considered a budding star and an All-Pro talent, as he led the NFL in sacks during the 2016 season. He never quite reached those heights again following that season, but surely, some NFL team would want Beasley around as a role player, right?
Not quite. Beasley is actually set to play football for the first time since the 2020 season, during which he played for both the Titans and the Raiders.
So, how did Beasley end up playing in the XFL? Here's a look back at his NFL flameout and the ceiling he could possess playing for the Vipers.
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What happened to Vic Beasley?
Beasley's career with the Falcons got off to a promising start, especially after he logged a league-high 15.5 sacks and was named an All-Pro during his second season in 2016.
However, he tapered off steadily after following that campaign. His struggles started when he failed to record a sack during Atlanta's run to the 2017 Super Bowl.
From there, Beasley's major stats dropped and the undersized edge rusher's impact on the game waned. He was still able to rack up a combined 18 sacks in his final three seasons with the Falcons, but at 6-3, 246 pounds, he wasn't effective enough against the run to play consistently enough to be a high-end starter.
As such, Beasley was forced to sign a one-year, prove-it deal with the Titans before the 2020 season. He was expected to potentially revitalize his career in Tennessee's 3-4 alignment; instead, he struggled.
Beasley never logged a sack with the Titans and didn't even last a full season in Tennessee. He was cut after appearing in just five games.
And after his release, then-general manager Jon Robinson revealed that the team just couldn't get Beasley going during the season.
"I just think that not every decision that we make works out," Robinson said, via The Tennessean's Erik Bacharach. "We spent a lot of time working with him, trying to get him going. At the end of the day, we thought it was best for us to go in a different direction."
They were not alone. Beasley was scooped up by the Raiders after his exit from the Titans and made just a single tackle while appearing in five games.
Since then, Beasley has remained an unsigned NFL free agent. Now, he is set to play for the first time in more than two years and the 30-year-old will hope to regain at least part of the All-Pro form he once showed.
Vic Beasley stats
As mentioned, Beasley's second season in Atlanta was statistically his best. Even still, he was no slouch as a pass rusher during his other campaigns with the Falcons before flaming out in Tennessee and Las Vegas.
Below is a look at Beasley's NFL stats by season as he looks to establish himself as one of the XFL's top edge rushers.
| Season | Games | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Forced fumbles | Pass defenses |
| 2015 | 16 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016 | 16 | 39 | 15.5 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| 2017 | 14 | 29 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018 | 16 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | 16 | 42 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Beasley picked up an All-Pro nod and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2016. He didn't receive any accolades during his other five NFL seasons, and that was disappointing considering how touted he was as a prospect during his college days.
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Where did Vic Beasley go to college?
Beasley attended Clemson from 2011 to 2014, and he was one of the first big stars for Dabo Swinney's defense.
That said, it wasn't always certain that Beasley would be a defensive player. Before his breakout 2012 season, the Tigers hadn't figured out where to use the explosive athlete. They considered putting him at linebacker, tight end and even running back before Swinney approached him about moving to defensive end.
“He’s such a good kid and said, ‘I’ll do it,’ but he didn’t have his heart in it, wasn’t passionate about it," Swinney told Bleacher Report in 2013. "He was still hoping to be on offense."
That led Swinney to cut a deal with Beasley.
“Just commit this fall,” Swinney said of Beasley playing defensive end. “If you don’t have a good year, don’t feel like there’s a role for you, we’ll move you back to running back.”
Beasley never needed to do that. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore, when he collected eight sacks and showcased his fearsome pass rushing ability, and continued to improve from there. He had 13 sacks as a junior but surprisingly eschewed the NFL Draft despite was getting first-round projections,
The move paid off. Beasley actually managed to improve his draft stock after racking up nine sacks as a senior. He finished his career at Clemson with 30 sacks and a whopping 48 TFL.
Vic Beasley NFL Draft
Beasley was selected by the Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the second defensive player taken behind Dante Fowler, who went No. 3 overall to the Jaguars.
Here's a look at the top 10 picks from that year's draft class:
| Pick | Player | Team |
| 1 | Jameis Winston | Buccaneers |
| 2 | Marcus Mariota | Titans |
| 3 | Dante Fowler | Jaguars |
| 4 | Amari Cooper | Raiders |
| 5 | Brandon Scherff | Washington |
| 6 | Leonard Williams | Jets |
| 7 | Kevin White | Bears |
| 8 | Vic Beasley | Falcons |
| 9 | Ereck Flowers | Giants |
| 10 | Todd Gurley | Rams |
Beasley drew comparisons to another speed-based pass rusher in the lead-up to the draft: Bruce Irvin. Here's what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote about Beasley in his scouting report of the top-10 pick:
Projects as 3-4 outside linebacker. Considered one of the best pure edge rushers in the draft, but needs more sophistication to his approach. Has speed and explosion to become an absolute menace for a creative defensive coordinator. High-impact talent but needs to crank up competitive nature in order to reach his potential.
Indeed, Beasley's speed was certainly a weapon for him at the NFL level. However, he wasn't quite able to add enough to his pass rushing arsenal to justify his selection.
Still, Beasley delivered the one All-Pro appearance, so he wasn't a total bust. He just didn't quite develop. That's why the Falcons moved on from him and why he dropped out of the NFL.
But now, he will have a chance to resurrect his career as he becomes a top edge rusher for the Vegas Vipers.
