2014 NFL Draft: Anthony Barr Scouting Report

By Casey Conroy on Sunday, March 23rd 2014
2014 NFL Draft: Anthony Barr Scouting Report

College: UCLA

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 255 pounds

 

Strengths

Athleticism: Barr may be one of the most athletic players in the entire draft. He is big and fast with very impressive change of direction speed. Barr doesn’t always show his athleticism on tape, but when he’s on, it is very impressive. He has the ability to chase down almost any player, and when left unblocked for runs going in the other direction, teams pay as Barr chases ball carrier down.

Upside: Some would argue that Barr has the highest upside of any player in the draft. While his upside is remarkable, that may be a stretch right now. Regardless Barr has the ability to be a special playmaker at the next level. With experience and a good coach Barr will be a household name in the league for years to come.

Build: A strong part of Barr’s upside is his build. Barr measured in at 6’5”, 255 pounds, and with 33 ½” arms. Barr has the perfect build for an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Having this perfect build and the athleticism to match is what makes him highly regarded.

 

Weaknesses

Experience: Both a knock to him, and part of his upside, Barr lacks much experience at the outside linebacker position. In high school Barr played running back and his first two years at UCLA Barr spent time as a running back, wide receiver, and tight end. So Barr has only been on defense for two years and seriously lacks experience that’s needed.

Ability to get off blocks: Box score scouting won’t show you this one. Barr had 23.5 sacks in two years on defense which is a very impressive number. What it doesn’t show is that many of those come from a straight up speed rush, or unblocked. Barr seriously struggles with someone gets their hands on him and that is very concerning.

Project Player: What it comes down to with Barr is that he ultimately is a project player. He has an incredibly high ceiling as a player, but his floor is pretty low as well. He lacks experience and technique, but has the ability to light the league on fire and it both show on film.

 

NFL Comparison, Vernon Gholston, Formerly of the New York Jets

Most will dislike this comparison, but it has founding. Barr like Gholston, used their athletic ability to create the plays they did in college. Gholston and Barr are very similar in size, Barr being an inch taller, and Gholston weighing four more pounds at the combine. Both were seen as top ten selections, and Gholston wound up being picked sixth overall. Barr can be what Gholston never was, or he can fall in that same category of draft bust.

 

Draft Outlook

Barr is seen by plenty as a top flight pass rusher and one who can go in the top ten overall. While this is a bit rich for my blood, I can see the hype. Barr is likely a lock for the first round, and with his upside few can fault on a team taking this gamble, but are gambles really worth first round picks? The team that decides they can elevate him and coach him into the player that he could be is the team that will pull the trigger on him.

 

Best Fits

Being a project player Barr needs to land in the right circumstances to succeed, as many rookies do. Going to a team that has developed late round talent at the position in recent years and one that runs a 3-4 defense is Barr’s best bet. Both of those combined leaves a short list, but one stand out is the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins turned a few players into stars, specifically Cameron Wake. Wake was undrafted and now is one of the better pass rushers in the league. Barr definitely won’t go undrafted, but rushing opposite Wake and being able to learn alongside him at the same time would be perfect.

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