With the 2017 NFL Draft still months away, there are dozens of potential targets for the Detroit Lions with the 21st pick of the first-round. Based on pre-combine projections, I will be highlighting individual players whom the team could be interested in. Today, the focus is on Derek Barnett, an edge rusher that could upgrade Detroit’s defensive line.
Lions Draft Prospect: Derek Barnett – Tennessee
Position: Defensive End
Projected: 1st-round
Size: 6-foot-3, 265 LBS
2016 Stats: 56 Tackles, 13 Sacks, 19 TFL, 1 INT
Analysis: Derek Barnett was a sack machine during all three seasons at Tennessee – getting at least ten sacks each season and a career-best 13 in 2016. He routinely gets behind the line of scrimmage, accumulating 52 tackles for a loss over his college career. He’s a true 4-3 defensive end with an NFL body at 6-3, 265 lbs.
Barnett is a highly intelligent player that has elite snap anticipation. A high-motor helps him get the most out of what scouts do not consider elite athleticism. That is up for debate, however, and can be truly determined during the NFL Scouting combine next week. He lacks an “explosive twitch” to consistently beat offensive tackles when he doesn’t get a great jump. Judge for yourself below.
Barnett doesn’t possess a great ability to change direction and tends to get stiff at times. He will get the occasional offsides penalty when trying to get a good jump. Overall, he’s not likely to be a top-10 pick, but can certainly shoot up draft boards if he measures well in various combine activities. You can’t get enough edge rushers in the NFL and Barnett possesses the tools to become a starting 4-3 end in the pros.
Why he makes sense for Lions: If selected by Detroit, Derek Barnett could be the complement to Ezekiel Ansah the Lions have needed for years. Since losing that interior rush with Suh and Fairley leaving via free agency a few seasons ago, Detroit hasn’t had much other than Ziggy. The result has been guys like Case Keenum having far too long to pick apart Detroit’s secondary.
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Despite needing another outside corner, Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, and Quandre Diggs would be significantly more effective if Detroit generated more pressure up front. Barnett would take some of the focus off of Ansah, plus with Kerry Hyder Jr, he wouldn’t need to be rushed along. Teryl Austin likes to rotate guys in, so Detroit could stand to be patient and use him situationally until he puts it all together.
This does go against my case for Alabama’s Cam Robinson – whom I believe would solidify Detroit’s offensive line for years to come. Nonetheless, Detroit’s defensive line has gotten somewhat stale and some fresh blood — such as Derek Barnett — could be just what they need.
Will he be available at 21? That’s a tough question and we will have a better idea after the combine. Right now, most mock drafts have Barnett going between 15-28. He’s the third-ranked defensive end according to most experts. CBS has him as the 17th ranked overall player currently. Stay tuned for more Lions NFL prospect profiles as the Draft gets closer!
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