Former Vikings draft bust could open 2021 as a starter for the Falcons

Former Minnesota Vikings draft pick Willie Beavers is currently listed as the starting right tackle on the Atlanta Falcons depth chart.

Over the last few years, the Minnesota Vikings have made some puzzling decisions with their picks in the NFL Draft. This was the case in 2016 when the Vikings used a fourth-round draft selection on former Western Michigan offensive lineman Willie Beavers.

Prior to the 2016 draft, some analysts projected Beavers to come off the board in the fifth or sixth round, and some didn’t even think he was worth getting drafted at all.

Still, Minnesota decided to draft the offensive lineman in the fourth round ahead of guys like Matt Judon, Tyreek Hill, and Dak Prescott.

Former Minnesota Vikings draft pick could open the 2021 season as a starter for the Atlanta Falcons

Beavers‘ tenure with the Vikings didn’t end up lasting very long. As a rookie with Minnesota in 2016, he was only active for two games and he was on the field for a total of 11 snaps.

The Vikings ended up cutting Beavers before the start of the 2017 season after it was clear that he wasn’t a fit for their offensive line. Since then, he’s had stints with the New England Patriots,  Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, and currently, he’s attempting to earn a spot on the final 2021 roster of the Atlanta Falcons.

Heading into the Falcons’ second preseason game on Saturday, Beavers is actually listed as the team’s starting right tackle on their unofficial depth chart.

Despite his current standing on the depth chart, the former Vikings offensive lineman isn’t expected to open the 2021 season as a starter unless Atlanta is forced to put him in the starting lineup due to other players being injured.

However, it sounds like the Falcons are looking to possibly make Beavers their swing tackle for the upcoming season. For someone that has only appeared in two games since 2016, taking over as Atlanta’s swing tackle would still be a big accomplishment for the former Minnesota draft pick.