2017 NFL Draft: Tennessee Derek Barnett Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
Tennessee’s Derek Barnett is a gifted football player who is developing into a strong pass rusher.
Derek Barnett is one of several edge rushers to watch for the 2017 NFL draft. He plays with great effort, a low pad level and balance. His ability to penetrate the pocket makes him an extremely disruptive player. However, there are a few areas of his game that still need developing.
Barnett’s best attribute as a pass rusher is his ability to keep a low center of gravity and dip his shoulder. He excels at flattening out around the edge and limiting the parts of his body for the blocker to attack. His stout frame helps him maintain the edge and keep from getting pushed past the pocket.
This is a relentless attacker who is always in pursuit of the football. His non-stop motor plays a major role in his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. It’s also one of the reasons Tennessee kicked him inside in passing situations.
Barnett was actually much more productive when rushing against the guard and center. Here he used his quickness, change of direction and shoulder dip to get pressure in the face of the quarterback.
Despite his production, Barnett does have some questions marks surrounding his ability to exceed in the NFL. He lacks the ideal quickness and length evaluators look for in an edge rusher. His limited short-area quickness is most apparent when Barnett attempts to finish the play.
There are too many situations where the quarterback is able to avoid the sack and leave Barnett grasping for air. He needs to show that he can get home and get the quarterback on the ground.
Barnett also needs to work on using his hands more often. He tends to favor throwing his shoulder into the blocker rather than gaining inside hands. His lack of length could play a role in his lack of hand usage.
His overall game would benefit from better snap awareness. Barnett needs to do a better job watching the ball and anticipating the snap.
Overall, Barnett is an intriguing prospect who needs to clean up some areas of his game. There’s potential here, but there’s also a chance he never develops into an impact NFL player.
Current Draft Range: 2nd Round