Carter's Classroom draft profile: Derek Barnett, defensive end

Now that the NFL Combine is over, we can begin our in-depth analysis of the various draft candidates for the Steelers.

The last issue of this feature was a summation of the Steelers' draft needs that listed top of the line candidates that the team could invest in with their draft picks. At the top that list was a prime candidate for their most obvious need in the upcoming draft. Due to the pass rush not being a consistent factor during the season, 3-4 edge rushers should be the primary concern for talent recruitment.



While Myles Garrett of Texas A&M is the undisputed top of the pass rushers in this class, the question as to who is the next best candidate behind him is a big debate that we'll have fun talking about over the next month.

One player in that debate is Derek Barnett, the senior defensive end from Tennessee who could be used as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Barnett has a reputation of being a quiet team leader. His work ethic to become a premier pass rusher in the SEC made him one of the most beloved players from the program in the past several years.

He finished his junior year at Tennessee with 13 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

Prior to the Combine, Barnett was considered among the top five edge rushers available in the draft. While his weaknesses were known, the concern of NFL scouts was just that he needed to not have a poor showing for his stock to remain high.

Barnett did not disappoint, putting out middling grades for most of the events, having a good showing in the positional drills and grading in the top 10 of defensive linemen in the three cone drill, as well as the top 15 among defensive linemen and linebackers.

While his 4.88 time in the 40-yard dash won't turn any heads, that's acceptable considering all the other positives Barnett brings to the table. He's 6-3, 259 --  smaller than Bud Dupree when he was coming out of Kentucky two years ago, but Barnett's style of play negates the need for speed and size at times.

EXPLOSIVE OFF BALL

Barnett's first step off the snap is among the quickest in the draft class. Once he puts his hand in the dirt and locks in on the spot he needs to attack, Barnett is ready to explode out of his stance and beat the opposing offensive tackle to the point of attack.

Take this play against Alabama's left tackle, Cam Robinson. Robinson is in no way a pushover, but Barnett manages to breeze by him and force a critical sack/fumble:



Notice how when Barnett jumps off the ball how he uses his hands just enough to engage with and rip through Robinson's arms. Barnett developed a knack for guessing snap counts and firing off the ball so quickly that offensive tackles couldn't handle him.

It even got to the point where during the Music City bowl against Nebraska, you could see Tennessee using Barnett as a decoy to one side of the line, lining up as if he would rush, but then dropping into coverage. When he did, the entire Nebraska offensive line shifted to his side, opening up a clear shot for his teammate on the other end for a free sack.

This is why Barnett's 40-yard dash time is irrelevant for the most part. His talent comes from working in tight spaces where he uses short bursts of explosiveness to win battles.

Watch what he did here to Georgia out of a two-point stance, getting deep enough to use a simple rip move to get the sack:



By the time the lineman is back in his stance to engage, Barnett already working at full speed. He's giving the smallest target possible while moving at a quick enough pace that the offensive lineman has to make a split-second decision of how to commit his body position to stopping Barnett.

Part of that is also because Barnett combines that explosive first step off the snap with a good attack angle, or bend as the scouts often say, that makes him that much more difficult to stop.

ENGAGED

Watch here on the left edge of the offensive line as Barnett engages with the offensive tackle and then a running back to get the sack. Key in on how low he gets when he engages the running back:



Barnett is extremely good at getting low and keeping his center of balance all while pushing to work around the edge of offensive tackles. This is where he makes his reputation as one of the best pass rushers in this class.

While you also consider that, know that Barnett is a player that is not just an edge rusher that will end up being liable against the run. He's adept at both setting the edge against the run, and at being a force at the point of attack when necessary.

Watch how he collapses in on both the tight end and fullback of Virginia Tech on this play to lead the charge on this third-and-one stop:



Barnett's ability to fire off low out of his stance with the consistency to make it an every down occurrence wears at opponents and always gives him a better chance to succeed when it's him against someone trying to engage him straight up in either pass protection or lead blocking for the run.

That's one key difference you will see between Barnett and other taller and faster edge rushers is his consistency at staying low and giving opponents zero plays off.

EFFORT

In addition to not only being consistent with how low he keeps his pad level, Barnett also shows effort even when the play might not be going his way or he faces a double team that could stunt most pass rushers.

Watch how he sheds through both Georgia's tight end and running back in a single play to get a sack/fumble in the end zone:



Barnett's head is always up and looking for what he has to do next to get to the quarterback while also monitoring what is going on in the pocket in case he needs to adjust his plan of attack. He's good at engaging and disengaging with blockers as he combines his solid hand techniques with all the other skills we've outlined.

Normally against a double team, the pass rusher has done his job in attracting the attention of the protection unit and giving one-on-one matchups to his teammates. But Barnett did not settle for that in the play above, shedding both blockers to get to the quarterback to set up a touchdown for Tennessee.

Even when Barnett isn't working on the edge at the point of attack, he stays focused to fulfill his role in the defensive scheme.

Take a look at what he does against Alabama, scraping down the line to take away any cutback ability for the running back:



Barnett very rarely over pursues his assignment and he appears to be a player with a high-football IQ. That's an intangible that could make him a potential rookie starter in the NFL, as many defenders take time to learn defensive schemes before being plugged in full time.

BAD IN SPACE

Barnett's biggest weakness is his lack of an ability to produce in space. As you can discern from his slower 40-yard dash time and only having one drill where he ranked among the top 10 of his positional group, Barnett isn't going to be the best athlete when it comes to chasing down faster players.

That's what Alabama keyed in on here as the ran the option to Barnett's side:



As the quarterback and running back come down the line, Barnett puts on a good showing of fundamentals in that he focuses on on the pitch man, the quarterback, and forces him to give it to his running back.

At this point, Barnett has figured out the play, but being in that much space puts him at a vulnerable place that forces him to commit too much to stopping the running back and opening up space for a cut back and a big gain.

Barnett will have problems if he has to chase down faster quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and speed demon running backs like Ezekiel Elliott. That's the biggest drawback in his game and leaves questions for scouts if that's a liability worth taking on at the expense of his other skills as the NFL gets faster every year with more sub-packages being used than traditional defensive formations.

STEELERS STOCK

Now comes the fun part: How could Barnett make an impact for the Steelers?

Draft Position: Barnett is highly regarded at a position which is in high demand in the NFL at all times. That makes him a prime candidate to be selected in the first round. His lack of speed and trouble in space could push his draft position to the middle to later part of the first round, but he still will most likely be gone before the Steelers' scheduled pick at 30th overall.

Make no mistake, if the Steelers want to go after one of the prime pass rushers in this draft class, they may have to trade up to get their man. If Barnett is it, possible teams in consideration might be the Cardinals at No. 13, the Eagles at No. 14 or even the Broncos at No. 20. But there's still a lot to consider before giving up an extra pick or a key player just to swap draft picks.

Value: The ultimate question the Steelers must confront is whether or not they want to continue investing in speed on their defense or go for a more power type player like Barnett. There are faster edge rushers in the draft like Takkarist McKinley from UCLA and Hasson Reddick at Temple, both of whom we will get to in our breakdowns, but the Steelers have their faster edge rusher in Dupree.

Barnett would be the power-edge setter/rusher that fits the mold of what LaMarr Woodley was for the Steelers. He's bigger, slower in space, but extremely good at getting after the quarterback and turning back running backs looking to get outside the tackle box.

Establishing that balance could be a key to the future of this young Steelers' defense, or throwing it away for a defense that completely relies on speed in the changing pace of games in the NFL could be the ushering in of a new era of defense. Either philosophy won't matter if the players picked for those positions won't produce, but Barnett is a special breed.

To give you a sense of what could make him special, you would have to have watched his performance in the Music City bowl. Barnett's determination was remarked about throughout the game as he consistently applied pressure and was a factor in the game.

He only needed one sack to set the Tennessee record for career NCAA sacks, and it came late in the fourth quarter. Barnett's reputation of a beloved team leader was on full display when his coach called a timeout after the sack, during a game which was not over and Tennessee needed to let the clock continue to run in order to give the entire Tennessee sideline a chance to celebrate the record-setting moment with Barnett on the field.

It was a special moment for the young man, as he passed the record previously held by NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White. Any guy who follows that path of success with the reputation of being a leader on and off the field is one who coaches and general managers probably will be willing to take a chance on.

If the Steelers see the opportunity to take that chance on Barnett, it could be exciting.