Potential Vikings Draft Target Christian Barmore Shined in the College Football Playoff
One of the Vikings' biggest needs this offseason is a three-technique defensive tackle who can rush the passer and make plays in the run game. They're set at nose tackle on early downs with Michael Pierce returning from an opt-out season, but Minnesota's only other DTs under contract are Shamar Stephen (who could potentially be a cap casualty) and recent Day 3 picks Armon Watts and James Lynch. Adding a couple players to fill out that rotation should be a priority heading into the 2021 season.
If they're able to create some cap space, the Vikings could look to add a defensive tackle in free agency. But even if they go that route, and especially if they don't, they should be looking to add to that position group in the NFL Draft. In a fairly weak DT class, one name stands out above the rest: Alabama's Christian Barmore.
Barmore was already on the NFL radar heading into the 2020 season after a solid redshirt freshman campaign in which he recorded six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. But the 6'5", 310-pounder from Philly took his game to another level in his second collegiate season. Seeing expanded playing time, he capitalized with eight sacks, three pass breakups, and three forced fumbles.
What was most impressive about Barmore's season was how he finished it. After missing the first two weeks of the year and only recording two sacks in his first five games, he racked up six sacks in the Crimson Tide's final six contests. That included a sack in each of the two College Football Playoff games to help Bama win the national championship. With a sack and an additional tackle for loss among his five total tackles, Barmore was named the Defensive MVP of the national title game against Ohio State.
Barmore's ceiling is exciting because of his physical tools. He has a strong first step and good overall athleticism, which allows him to create fairly consistent penetration. He's very tough to block one-on-one as a pass rusher, frequently using a swim move to get past his man. Barmore also has good lateral mobility, which he uses to get off of blocks and make plays against the run (such as the fourth-down stop shown above). His motor, hand power, and overall strength are all strong traits he will bring to the next level, and he figures to also be effective on twists and stunts. However, Barmore does need to continue adding more pass-rushing moves and counters, and has room to improve his technique when it comes to key things like hand placement and pad level.
As mentioned earlier, the 2021 DT class is seen by scouts to be a fairly weak one. Whereas last year's draft saw two players (Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw) taken in the top 14 picks and nine total defensive tackles selected in the first three rounds, this year's group lacks both star power and depth. As a result of his performances against Notre Dame and OSU, Barmore's stock is rising and he is seen by most experts as the top DT in the class right now. His primary competition for DT1 is probably Iowa's Daviyon Nixon, though guys like USC's Jay Tufele and Pitt's Jaylen Twyman are also in the mix.
Heading into the Playoff, Barmore was seen as a likely second-round pick. But after playing well on a national stage, he is firmly in the first-round conversation and could cement himself as a first-round pick with strong athletic testing at the combine. Pro Football Focus recently ranked Barmore 15th overall on their Top 100 big board, which is high praise.
If Barmore tests well and his stock continues to rise, it's possible he could be in play for the Vikings at No. 14 overall. At the moment, though, I think it's possible that they could trade down and land him later in the first round. Barmore falling to the second round is still possible if he doesn't test well, but that seems a lot less likely now than it did a few weeks ago.
Given the Vikings' glaring need at three-tech, Barmore could wind up being a perfect fit in the first round. Minnesota hasn't selected a defensive lineman in the first since Sharrif Floyd in 2013, but this might be the year to change that. With little depth at DT in this draft and more depth at other positions of need like EDGE and guard, using their first pick on Barmore or Nixon (more on him to come) might be the Vikings' smartest plan of attack.
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