When the Vikings drafted Willie Beavers out of Western Michigan in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in 2016, a lot of experts called the pick a reach.
Pro Football Focus called it the fourth-worst pick in the entire draft in large part because he was the second-lowest-graded tackle in all of college football during the 2015 season.
After Beavers was assigned to practice squad out of training camp, he was the highest draft pick to not make a team’s 53-man roster.
Injuries forced the Vikings to add Beavers to their roster in the middle of the season but he played just 11 snaps, and although they were limited snaps, Beavers had the lowest grade of any lineman on the team.
Despite all of that, NFL analyst and staff writer for Sports Illustrated, Andy Benoit, believes he’s the “X-Factor” for their O-line equation.
The Daily Norseman tweeted out the perfect response on what a lot of us were thinking.
With all due respect, Willie Beavers is much closer to being an X-Viking than an X-factor.
— The Daily Norseman (@DailyNorseman) June 8, 2017
If Beavers can turn it around this year, more power to him. But he’ll have an uphill battle. After the Vikings drafted center Pat Elflein in the third round, he’s been taking first-team reps at said position during OTAs.
With Elfein locking things down, Minnesota shifted last year’s starting center Joe Berger to guard, and there’s no way Beavers will be taking Alex Boone’s spot on the left side.
Plus the Vikings paid big money to Mike Remmers and Riley Reiff this offseason to shore up the tackle positions.
Could Beavers simply be a depth guy? Sure. But an “X-factor” seems highly unlikely.
