Spending the majority of his first season on the practice squad, the Detroit Lions have a defender who could earn himself a spot on the 53-man roster.
Alex Barrett was a defensive tackle with the San Diego State Aztecs. With the Detroit Lions last season after going undrafted, Barrett converted to defensive end. Now, he’s playing some edge rushing linebacker.
As a collegian, Barrett spent his time on the interior of the defensive line and was impressive. He was very active behind the line of scrimmage with 18.0 sacks and 39 tackles for loss. Even more impressive was his three forced fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was a touchdown.
Accomplishing all this at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds is unheard of. Adding an additional eight pounds since then doesn’t make him any more of a fit inside, but that extra weight and strength helps him.
It took only two games in 2017 to get demoted from the 53-man roster to the practice squad. Although injuries opened the door for Barrett, he showed some promise. With a year of experience on the edge, it appears he’s ready to cash in on some playing time.
On the first day of training camp, Barrett worked with the first-string linebackers. And the following day with the defensive ends. Injuries once again are paving a way for him to make the roster, but there’s a reason he was out there over everyone else.
There’s some steep competition facing Alex Barrett. Lucky for him, he’s got experience in a three-man defensive front and has proven himself in that system. Although he’ll stay mostly on the edge, Barrett is an underrated chess piece that’ll make a huge push to make the Detroit Lions’ active roster come September. He certainly has my vote to make it through for a second straight season.