Derek Barnett: Defensive End, Tennessee
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 259 LBS
40 Time: 4.88
3-cone drill: 6.96
Strengths:
Barnett isn’t the type of freakish athletic marvel that a player like Myles Garrett is. He’s not a guy whose going to destroy the combine and look awesome in tights, and his numbers were even worse than expected in large part because he was sick just before the combine and had lost a lot of fluid and weight. Still, even if he had been 100% I wouldn’t have expected him to blow anyone away with any of his numbers. Normally if a player is less than a plus-athlete I wouldn’t even consider them as high as 11, that is unless they have a developed skillset I think they can translate directly to the NFL and enough production against quality competition to show they aren’t a flash in the pan. Barnett fulfills that exact exception. He’s also a very, very good athlete, he’s just not great in the attributes you generally associate with a pass rusher. Think of him as the Marques Colston of pass rushers, steady, reliable, elite in his own way, but never flashy. That’s Derek Barnett.
Barnett wins in a number of ways (the best rushers always do), but he’s often attributed with primarily relying on predicting (or if his penalty count is a clue guessing) snap counts. That’s certainly part of his game, but its two other attributes that make him what is in my opinion the safest choice at 11 for the Saints. Barnett before anything else is absolutely violent with his hand usage as he bats aside tackles and manipulates them to create attack lanes as he works his way to the Quarterback. This is something that is effective on every level as long as you have the length and the strength to execute (he does). The other thing that made Barnett so effective and so consistent, that allowed him to surpass Reggie White’s school record (yes, THAT Reggie White) for sacks is his ‘bend’. Barnett has an absolutely elite ability to contort his body without losing his balance or his momentum. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, a lot rarer than you think, and incredibly difficult to defend against when combined with his technique. His ability to relentlessly attack his opponents when combined with his ability to bend around would be blockers will make him an effective player from day one in my opinion. Barnett is a player who has a very high floor because of how he wins. He’s not just a quick speed rusher that tackles can push out of the play, he’ll go under, around, and through opponents just as often, and if he beats them off the snap his flexibility allows him to instantly defeat an out of position opponent. I made the comparison to Colston not only because he’s not a flashy player, but also because he has a near freakish ability to contort himself to make plays.
Weaknesses:
Barnett’s weakness is the exact same thing that makes him great, he wins with ‘bend’. He’s not a tremendous bull rusher, he’s not an elite athlete who’s just going to beat everyone off the snap, and he doesn’t have freakish length and size he can use to leverage opponents out of the way. If tackles are disciplined and in position they will be able to neutralize Barnett more often than not. There will still be plenty of times where he will fight his way into the backfield, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if his lack of elite athleticism causes him to be a master of the ‘Cam Jordan special’…almost getting a sack. Barnett’s ability to consistently apply pressure and win at the NFL level will be completely dependent on his ability to work his way into the back field, he won’t be ‘exploding’ into the backfield…ever.
The Fit:
In a vacuum I would much rather take a player like Takkarist McKinley, Charles Harris, Hassan Reddick, or even a guy like Jordan Willis. These are guys who have awesome ceilings and could become game changing defensive players for the Saints in time. However, they could also fail to live up to anything even close to those expectations. Barnett gives you a player you are pretty much certain can produce NOW, and what’s more his greatest weakness is that he will often only pressure QBs but wont finish them. That is ok for the Saints because Cameron Jordan is coming off the other side, and more importantly Nick Fairley and Sheldon Rankins will be coming up the middle. With multiple players able to consistently get pressure it puts tremendous pressure on the offense, but only if there isn’t a readily accessible escape route. Having an easy way, or an area where there isn’t a player they have to worry about allows the offensive line to gameplan for the others and the QB to move throughout the pocket and extend plays. However, if there is some level of pressure coming from all sides it can become very problematic for them. On top of that Barnett is solid against the run so he can be played as a true 3 down defensive end and provides the Saints with a competent, consistent, and skilled pass rusher opposite Jordan. That fills their greatest need and he fits like a glove. Sometimes substance is FAR more important than flash.
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