Today, we will take a look at Christian Barmore, a Defensive Tackle from Alabama. There are no stand out Defensive Tackles in this year’s draft class, but Barmore is near the top. Barmore flashed his elite potential in the 2020 College Football Playoffs, where he ended his career being named the 2020 National Championship Game Defensive MVP.
Strengths: In this weak Defensive Tackle class, Christian Barmore may have the highest ceiling. He has nice size, standing at 6’5″ and weighing 310lbs, and he also has great raw physical traits. He moves well and with great athleticism for his size, displaying a nice ability to move laterally along the line as well as being able to shoot around linemen and make tackles in the backfield. Barmore is an explosive athlete off the line, with both a quick first step and quick hands that shoot straight into the Offensive Lineman’s chest. When he gets his hands on the Offensive Lineman, he displays good arm extension and has good length to create separation between himself and the OL. Barmore also has great play strength and power, flashing his ability to drive Offensive Linemen backwards off of the snap, and he tends to display a lot of aggression while doing so. Barmore is raw, but he displays a lot of qualities one likes to see in a Defensive Lineman. He has a good array of pass rush moves, although he doesn’t always know when the right time is to use them. That being said, the upside is definitely there.
Weaknesses: Like I previously stated, Barmore is a raw prospect. He is a redshirt sophomore, so he only has two years of experience at the collegiate level. He will definitely need to learn and develop his skills in his first, and maybe second, year in the NFL, which I believe will just come through continued reps. Barmore was very inconsistent in the beginning of 2020, which was an issue for me. One reason for the inconsistencies may have been a knee injury he suffered in the offseason. As the season progressed, Barmore improved and became more consistent, even managing to peak during the College Football Playoffs. Another issue with Barmore’s game is that he can struggle against Offensive Linemen that are bigger than him, despite his own size and strength. If he doesn’t beat the Offensive Lineman off the snap, he can struggle to shed the blocks and, instead, gets neutralized. Additionally, his aggression causes him trouble in the screen game, as he often takes himself out of the play.
Bottom Line: Christian Barmore is an intriguing prospect. He possesses all of the raw physical tools you could ask for in a Defensive Lineman: strength, power, and athleticism. He has a good variety of moves in his arsenal as well, but just hasn’t been able to put everything together yet. It may take a little bit of time for him to figure everything out, but I trust that he will get things squared away for sure. Many of his weaknesses exist just due to his inexperience in the game. Barmore may not be a star right away, but he should become a rock solid Defensive Tackle by either year 2 or 3 in the NFL.
Grade: 2.3
