Derek Barnett is topping another draft list from Pro Football Focus, this time at No.1 of PFF’s 10 prospects we’re higher on than most list.
The PFF guys have been on the Derek Barnett train for quite a while, citing pretty much just his stats and dominant nature. It’s wild when a player with really good (even great) numbers is going into the NFL and looks like a really good player.
Barnett, of course, broke Reggie White’s career sack record with 33 sacks in just three years in Knoxville. Most analysts and pundits have him slotted behind Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, who many think will be headed to Cleveland as the first pick of the draft.
While PFF has been high on Barnett, some NFL mock drafts haven’t given Barnett a lot of love, dropping him to as low as the mid-second round in some cases. However, the stats show a closer comparison than that. Some even favor Barnett.
Barnett edged Garrett with 33 career sacks to Garrett’s 31. He also recorded 198 total tackles to Garrett’s 141 — Barnett averaged 43.6 solo tackles a year and Garrett averaged just 27 — but Garrett played in five less games.
Health issues are a concern for Garrett, who played through nagging injuries in two of his three years in College Station. Barnett played in every game as a Vol.
