Falcons Ex Pass Rusher Vic Beasley Selected in XFL Draft

Vic Beasley spent six seasons rushing the passer in the NFL, five of which were with the Atlanta Falcons. After a year removed, he'll get another chance to play football, this time in the XFL.

It was only six years ago that outside linebacker Vic Beasley led not only the Atlanta Falcons but the entire NFL in sacks with 15.5.

After being selected by the Falcons with the No. 8 overall pick in 2015, Beasley broke out in his second season and appeared set for stardom ... but things ultimately unraveled in a hurry.

Beasley followed up his All-Pro campaign at 24-years-old with a pair of five-sack seasons - not bad, but certainly not the standard he'd set. In the final season of his five-year rookie deal, Beasley turned in eight sacks and parlayed his bounce back season into a fully guaranteed one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.

His stint in Nashville lasted some five games before being released in November. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and played in five more games, finishing the season with zero sacks. That served as his final year in the NFL, just four years after being a legitimate candidate for defensive player of the year.

But now, Beasley's back on his feet, as the Vegas Vipers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the linebacker portion of Wednesday's XFL Draft.

The XFL will be kicking off its reboot on Feb. 18, 2023. The series, which was initially founded in 2001 before shutting down, made its return in the spring of 2020 but shut down after just five games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for Beasley, he'll be getting a reboot of his own, looking to re-establish himself as the player he once was. Still just 30 years old, Beasley has time left - and now gets an opportunity to prove he can still get after the quarterback.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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