2021 NFL Draft: Alabama’s Christian Barmore has the potential to be DT1
By Seth Steere
Looking at 2021 NFL Draft defensive tackle class
Marvin Wilson, the consensus DT1 at this point in the process, wasn’t able to compete in a full season last year due to a wrist injury that sidelined him for the latter half of the season. However, despite a shortened season, he showed enough on his tape to claim the thrown as the consensus ”DT1” and for good reason. He displayed excellent power and a motor that does not quit.
Nonetheless, Wilson is going to have some serious competition for that overall spot at the position by a man who has yet to even claim a starting role. You might be saying, ”well how can a guy go from not being a starter to the best defensive tackle in his class?”
That’s a great question. The Crimson Tide are constantly churning talent, and loads of them are four and five-star guys, it’s not always easy for a young player to crack the starting roster. Not to mention one of the players ahead of him was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft — Raekwon Davis.
Neal Driscoll of Pro Football Network has some thoughts on Barmore’s potential rise in 2020 as well:
"“In 2020, Barmore will get a chance to be a full-time starter, and many expect a meteoric rise like we saw from Quinnen Williams in his redshirt sophomore season at Alabama. Barmore possesses elite explosiveness and the ability to consistently disrupt the line of scrimmage. While his explosiveness is his best trait, his ability to win with power and violent hands also stands out (Driscoll via PFN).”"
Having a college football season will be huge for Barmore’s stock. He should see the field much more than he did last season with Davis gone, and if he can bring what he brought on limited reps to an expanded role we could be talking about a top-10 talent in the 2021 class.