Willie Beavers – Western Michigan Broncos

Position: Left Tackle
Height: 6'4-5/8"
Weight: 321
Year: 5^th Year Senior
Hometown: Lathrup Village, MI
Experience: 3+ year starter (40 straight games at LT)

Measurables:

40yd dash: 5.28
Broad jump: 103
Vertical: NA
3-cone: 7.96
20yd. Shuttle: 4.71
Bench Press: 20

Career Notes:

Willie Beavers had an interesting road to Western Michigan. In High School, he was recruited by current Packers Special Teams Coach, Ron Zook, who was the head coach of Illinois at the time. Willie was all set to become a member of the Fighting Illini, but Zook had signed too many players so there was no longer a spot for him. Instead of attending prep school for a semester and waiting for a spot at Illinois, Beavers decided to go to Western Michigan. After redshirting his first year, Willie made his first start at left tackle as a redshirt freshman in the 9th game of the 2012 season. He has started every game since, and was voted First Team All-MAC in his senior year. So, it seems that things have worked out OK for Willie.

One of the knocks on Beavers is that by playing in the MAC he hasn't faced high level competition. In 2015 he had two games against top opponents, Michigan State and Ohio State, which provided a good example of his abilities. He played well in both games, giving up only one sack in 83 pass attempts. Western Michigan fell behind big in both games, so they passed the ball a lot. The defenders were pinning their ears back and rushing the quarterback, but Beavers gave him time to throw.

Against MSU, Willie spent most of the day going up against Shilique Calhoun, who is considered one of the top pass rushers in this draft. Beavers held his own against Calhoun, giving up a sack and a couple pressures in 50 pass attempts, but otherwise he kept the pocket clean. He only faced Bosa from Ohio State on a half-dozen snaps, but played well against their other pass rushers and opened up a lot of holes in the running game.

At the Senior Bowl Willie had another opportunity to go up against better competition, but results weren't as good. The coaches tried him at right guard and he struggled against the strong group of defensive lineman, but it’s hard to hold that against him when he has never played the position before. When he moved back to left tackle he looked more comfortable.

Injury Report:

Willie has started 40 consecutive games and has not had any significant injuries.

Career Stats: http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/willie-beavers-1.html

Analysis:

Run Blocking: 2.6/5.0 Willie is aggressive but not overly strong for a man his size. Beavers is fast at the snap and usually beats his opponent, but he is not always able to move him off the line. However, he uses his quick feet and positioning to stay in front of his man. This should make him effective in a zone blocking scheme. He moves well in space and gets to the second level quickly. His athleticism shows when he easily latches onto and stays with linebackers and defensive backs in the open field. He blocks till the whistle and hustles downfield, trying to spring long runs.

Pass Protection: 2.9/5.0 His technique needs some work, but Willie has the athletic ability needed to block edge rushers. Quick feet help him stay in front of defenders, but he has a tendency to stop moving, which allows defenders to shoot around him. He can be too aggressive at times and lunge at pass rushers, which allows the defender to get around him when he loses his balance. This happened several times during senior bowl practices, and he has acknowledged that it is an area he needs to improve. When he does get beat, his quick feet often allow him to re-engage and keep the quarterback upright. This also shows his competitiveness. He never gives up on a play. His strong showing against two of the top pass rushers in the country prove that he can play at the next level.

Agility: 2.8/5.0 Good, quick feet for a man his size. Moves well in space and is able to block guys in the open field while staying on his feet. Combined with good vision, Willie is able to kick out and cut off edge blitzers.  His drill times didn't stand out, but he looked fluid in pass blocking drills at the combine. He maintained good balance and showed good change of direction ability shuffling side to side.

Summary: Willie has started a lot of games, but he is still considered raw. He has the size and athletic ability that can't be coached, but he still needs to work on improving his technique and strength. With good coaching in the NFL he should be able to develop and has a chance to become a good pro. He has an excellent motor and plays hard on every play. Evaluations vary greatly for Beavers, but Mike Mayok has Beavers as his #5 OT in his initial rankings.  

Overall Grade: 2.9/5.0  

If drafted by the Packers:

While offensive line isn’t the Packers biggest need, they should be looking to add quality depth, especially at tackle. We saw what happens when Bakhtiari or Bulaga goes down, and it wasn’t pretty. Eventually, JC Tretter showed he could hold his own at tackle, but they could use more depth. No one else on the roster has shown the ability to play tackle, and with Bulaga’s injury history and Bakhtiari and Tretter eligible for free agency next year, it would be wise to add quality depth. It is unlikely that the Packers would be able to keep this group intact after 2017 because it would simply be cost prohibitive. They need to get ahead of the game and find some younger guys that can fill in when the time comes.

Beavers is projected to go anywhere from round 2 to round 5. The Packers have taken many linemen in these rounds and developed them into excellent pros. Beavers has the athletic ability to play other positions across the line even though this didn’t show in his limited senior bowl experience and the Packers like that flexibility in their offensive linemen. He should fit well with the Packers zone blocking scheme and he has the potential to be a solid pass protector.

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