Von Miller, Khalil Mack and other NFL sack artists met for a ‘pass-rushing summit’

Von Miller suggested in January that he, Atlanta Falcons rusher Vic Beasley, and other sack leaders throughout the NFL should meet up for a “pass-rushing summit.” On Thursday, the Denver Broncos star made that a reality at Stanford University — not far from where Miller has a home in the Bay Area.

According to the Denver Post, the attendees of the “Von Miller Pass Rush Summit” included Beasley, Shane Ray (Broncos), Khalil Mack (Oakland Raiders), Malik Jackson (Jacksonville Jaguars), Solomon Thomas (San Francisco 49ers), Cassius Marsh (Seattle Seahawks) and Cliff Avril (Seahawks).

“It will probably be about a month or so because those guys are in the playoffs -- I got my [offseason] early -- but Vic [Beasley]‘s my guy and we’ll link up,” Miller said in January, via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “I’ll get with Vic and [the Kansas City Chiefs’] Justin Houston and all those guys and have a little pass-rush summit. Vic, being a guy with that type of game so similar to yours, you want to get with those guys and work out with those guys. I’m looking forward to it.”

Miller ended up waiting until the end of June to get it organized (and didn’t draw Houston), but still had an impressive group of pass rushers working with each other and the Stanford coaching staff.

Beasley edged Miller for the league lead in sacks during the 2016 season with 15.5 — two more than Miller. But the Broncos pass rusher has reached double-digit sacks in five of his six NFL seasons and Beasley knows he still has a lot to learn.

“Oh, it will help me out a lot,” Beasley said of the summit in May, via ESPN. “The attention that Von gets year in and year out is unbelievable. They respect him as a pass-rusher, and I’m headed in that direction. So I can learn a lot from him in that case.”

It’s not uncommon for NFL players to link up during the offseason and work together, even if they’re not on the same team. But so many of the league’s best players converging to train is rare. And if it makes those players any better than they already are, the quarterbacks of the NFL should be worried.