Anthony Barr stands 6-5 and weighs a rock-solid 255 pounds. He piled up 23.5 sacks in his last two years of college football. And he just may be the finest pure pass-rushing prospect this side of Jadeveon Clowney.
So NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock just doesn’t get it when he hears rumors that the UCLA linebacker may experience a free fall in the first round of the NFL draft later this week.
“I don’t think he’s sliding,” Mayock said on a conference call. “I think he could go as early as (No.) 11 to Tennessee. I think Dallas would love him at (No.) 16. This draft is not deep in edge rushers.”
But this draft does have Barr, a potentially transcendent pass rusher if he’s given time to develop. He could easily spend his NFL career terrorizing the Giants, too; the Eagles had him in for a visit, and many have linked him to the Cowboys.
Not bad for a player who started his college career as an underappreciated rushing option for the Bruins. Barr arrived on campus as a 6-3, 225-pound fullback, and he was blocked by a pair of eventual NFL running backs in Johnathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman. When he sprouted two inches before his junior season, he was asked to experiment at linebacker.
He didn’t argue.
“We have some great athletes at UCLA,” he said, “so anytime (coach Jim Mora) felt he could (move players), that worked for us a little bit.”
It worked out especially well for Barr, who instantly became a defensive force. He said the transition was “difficult at first,” but the inexperience hardly showed on the field. He opened the 2012 season by recording a sack in six straight games on his way to a 13.5-sack season. Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, then at Georgia, was the only NCAA player with more.
“I think moving backwards, going back in coverage, was something that was new to me,” Barr said. “It’s still sort of new to me in a sense.”
And that, to Mayock, is what makes Barr such an impressive prospect. He piled up all those sacks while still learning the linebacker position.
“The bottom line with Barr is I think his best football is ahead of him,” Mayock said. “You might have to wait two years. He only played the position for two years.”
Barr must get stronger at the point of attack, and he needs to learn to vary his pass-rushing techniques. But Mayock believes that such adjustments will come with time. And Barr knows he needs work too. “Shedding blocks, defending the run, using my hands,” he said. “I think those things are still new to me.”
Eventually, though, Barr will learn those things. And that’s when he promises to pay big dividends. “If a team gets me, if they like what they see, they’re going to love what they get,” he said. “Because I’m just going to continue to get better.”
TOP 5 LINEBACKERS
Khalil Mack, Buffalo, OLB, Sr.
Four-year starter is a big hitter with an excellent first step, and has a variety of effective pass-rushing moves.
Anthony Barr, UCLA, OLB, Sr.
Excellent athlete who’s not yet a finished product. “He needs to learn the position . . . but the kid is a great talent,” analyst Mike Mayock says.
C.J. Mosley, Alabama, ILB, Sr.
Top MLB in draft compensates for lack of size (234 pounds) with smarts, toughness and instincts. Sometimes-shaky tackling form.
Ryan Shazier, Ohio State, OLB, Jr.
Explosive athlete who lacks only in size (237 pounds) and can be swallowed up by linemen. Reminds some scouts of Tampa’s Lavonte David.
DeMarcus Lawrence, Boise St., OLB, Jr.
Looks the part at 6-3, 251 pounds, and may be able to slide between OLB and DE. Moves fluidly.
OVERRATED
Carl Bradford, Arizona St., OLB, Sr.
UNDERRATED
Telvin Smith, Florida State, OLB, Sr.
SLEEPER
Kyle Van Noy, BYU, OLB, Sr.
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