Alex Barron scouting report

SCOUTING REPORT

Strengths:
Tremendous athleticism...Has long arms...Excellent in pass protection...Very quick feet and good balance...A natural left tackle...Good size...Still has a lot of upside and potential.

Weaknesses:

May not have that killer instinct and doesn't always finish his blocks...Battled some injuries early in his career...Doesn't have a lot of experience and is still raw...Has to work on mastering the nuances of the position.

Notes: Widely regarded as the top senior offensive lineman available...Not in the same class as Tony Boselli, Jon Ogden or Orlando Pace but may be just a notch below...The top offensive tackle in the Draft and should be one of the elite players available.

Alex Barron
T, Florida State

War Room analysis

-Run blocking: Is mammoth, quick and has the footwork to consistently get in position. When in position, can engulf smaller defenders. Must be more physical. Doesn't always take great angles to his man. Grade: 8.0.

-Pass blocking: Gets set quickly, and maintains good balance. Rarely gets caught on his heels. Stays under control. Has long arms to force edge rushers wide of the pocket. Must improve upper-body power. Grade: 8.7.

-Initial quickness: Is good. Is athletic, but sometimes comes out of his stance too high. Grade: 8.4.

-Strength: Has exceptional height and wingspan. Has good bulk, and is massive. Has decent lower-body strength. Must improve upper-body power to jar defenders with hand punch. Grade: 7.6.

-Mobility: Has rare athleticism. Is fluid, shows good body control and runs well for his size. Grade: 8.7.

-Bottom line: Injuries slowed Barron's development, particularly a torn right knee ligament in 2000. He is a personnel man's dream with ultimate height, weight and speed in a draft starved for left tackles. Some offensive line coaches are not convinced he can play well enough to warrant a high pick but he will be selected in the first round.

-Dan Pompei analysis: Huge prospect with a wingspan that measures 37 3/4 inches -- the longest of any player in the draft. Is difficult to get around. Bends at the knees and stays balanced. Is also athletic with good feet. Can get into the linebackers. Has great upside. Doesn't play strong and tends to give up ground. Falls off blocks. Needs to improve technique. Intensity and aggression are lacking. Takes on too many blocks in pass protection; isn't a striker. Will either boom or bust. No. 4 on Pompei's OT rankings

News: Barron dropped eight pounds between the Combine and the Seminoles' pro day. The weight loss, combined with running on a fast track, helped Barron run a 4.83 40, a great time for a player his size, and deliver a 38-inch vertical leap. Scouts are salivating. While the track contributed to the fast sprint, observers believe he should do no worse than 5.00 on a more typical surface. Those paying close included the Rams, Seahawks and Browns, who of the three teams have the best shot at drafting him.

All 32 teams had representatives at the workout. They includes Steelers coach Bill Cowher, the Saints' Jim Haslett and Dolphins GM Rick Spielman.

His performance made up for a sub-par display at the Combine.

ALEX BARRON

Offensive Tackle
Florida State
Senior
6'6 | 308 | 4.83

HOME TOWN: Orangeburg, SC
HIGH SCHOOL: Wilkinson

QUICK STRENGTHS: Height, athleticism, footwork
QUICK WEAKNESSES: consistency, bulk, strength
NFL COMPARISONS: Lighter, but athletic tackle who can play the left side similar to Seattle's Walter Jones.

A highly touted recruit, Barron played sparringly his first two seasons with the Seminoles, only making five starts in two years. However, he earned the starting job as a junior and turned in an outstanding season making 1st team All-ACC. As a senior he again made first team all conference.

Barron has been a dominant player at times. He has good height and long arms. He is built to play the left side. He shows good ability in pass protection. He has good athleticism for a man his size. He sets up quickly, gets a nice base beneath him and uses his hands well. He has good enough strength to handle bull rushers and the feet to not give up the edge to speed rushers. What he needs to improve on is picking up stunts and blitzes. He is a bit slow to find extra rushers and needs to display better awareness. In the run game, Barron is up and down. He tends to play to high and lacks the bulk and strength to be a tackle teams run behind in the NFL. He is capable of moving defenders when he plays with proper leverage though, but he will need to put in time in the weight room to improve in this area. He could also turn up the intensity a notch or two at times and finish blocks with more authority.

Barron has a chance to be one of the better tackles in the NFL, but he needs to pick up the consistency and add more strength. He has the athleticism teams look for and as a result, he is a 1st Round lock, however, he could go anywhere from the top 10 to the early 20's.

2. Alex Barron, OT, Florida State - As talented a guy as you will ever see at the LT position. Huge and very athletic for a man that size. Barron has quick feet and has prototype pass blocking skills. On the downside of Barron is his work ethic and desire and when you have question marks like those with a big guy, red flags start rising. Barron is not a great weight room guy and doesn't work as hard as he should. His run blocking skills leave a lot to be desired as well. Of course, these things are all correctable but when a kid lacks desire, many times that big contract he will sign makes him a little too comfortable and he never plays up to his ability. The team drafting Barron will hope that they can get him to turn his intensity level up and they will have a Pro Bowl calibre LT that can start for a decade. If not, Barron becomes a guy who plays but never becomes the player his talent says he can be.

One thing you have to remember is that Barron was evaluated as a LT prospect, and LT is generally considered a much tougher position than RT. Barron at RT, with a vet like Timmerman playing next to him...?


Look out!

:ramlogo: Knowing our EXTREME need for a good right tackle it looks as though we got the best that was still available at our turn. Sure would have rather had Jamaal Brown though. Hopefully our QB will spend more time upright this year.:helmet:

Agree totally. Love this pick. I feel the same as I did last year when we got Steven Jackson.

Barron is better than Brown. Plus more upside.

Kiper says:

Boom or Bust. Too often gets beat by players he should dominate. Passive player, lacks upper and lower body strength.

Long, Long wingspan. Has all the tools. Coaches have to stay after him to play up to his level.

Great athlete

I believe that moving Barron to the RT spot will allow him to shine a bit faster than at LT. AV hit the nail on the head. Best talent at that position . With Opie and Timmerman to guide the kid into the nuances of the NFL, a great choice, IMO. Next up...... DB, bay-bee.

Not to mention the fact that Jim Hanifan still hangs around Rams Park. That'd certainly help things. Love this pick.

1 (19): Jammal Brown, OT, Oklahoma



Sure wish you had hit on the Rams first pick!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZigZagRam

Not to mention the fact that Jim Hanifan still hangs around Rams Park

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Ah, I think Hani will be happy to see this pick!!!




:)