San Francisco 49ers: Making the Case for EDGE Derek Barnett in the NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers still need a ton of defensive help in the NFL Draft. And while Texas A&M EDGE Myles Garrett might be the big name, Tennessee edge rusher Derek Barnett could eventually wind up being the better find.

The San Francisco 49ers focused on their offense in free agency this offseason. And it’s likely general manager John Lynch will use the NFL Draft to improve the Niners defense.

Sure, it would be nice to see San Francisco wind up with Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett fall into its lap at No. 2 overall.

But that would mean the Cleveland Browns would have to pass him up. Not likely.

San Francisco 49ers

Instead of Garrett, the 49ers could be just as enticed selecting Tennessee EDGE Derek Barnett.

San Francisco needs an elite pass-rusher, someone to explode off the edge in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s 4-3 base scheme as the LEO, or right defensive end.

Right now, that position is occupied by Aaron Lynch. But Lynch managed just 1.5 sacks a season ago — a year marked by him being overweight, suspended for four games and injury prone at the end of 2016.

For starters, targeting Barnett at No. 2 might not be the best value, if one tries to look at things that way. Barnett is potentially a top-10 pick in this year’s NFL Draft. But that doesn’t quite give San Francisco the best value.

Still, if Lynch feels Barnett is the guy to have, why not pounce?

Looking at the Stats

SEC teams are known for having as close as NFL-like defenses in all of college football. We know this.

And, believe it or not, Barnett actually eclipsed Garrett in sack totals — both in 2016 and over each players’ respective three-year collegiate careers:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/21/2017.

In comparison, Garrett registered 31 sacks over three seasons and just 8.5 his junior year.

Sticking to stats alone is a silly thing to do in prospect evaluation, so let’s look at more advanced criteria.

Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner did a breakdown for all collegiate pass-rushers in this year’s NFL Draft. His analysis still has Garrett at No. 1 over all EDGE prospects. But Barnett is right behind him, especially in sack numbers and total pass-rush productivity — No. 2 for Barnett and No. 4 for Garrett.

And Renner wrote:

"Athletically, Barnett is the antithesis of Garrett. Production-wise, he’s the only player in the class that can compare to Garrett over the course of their careers. Barnett’s 37 combined sacks and hits this past season were far and away the most in college football. He also has 20 total sacks in SEC play the past two seasons. The only concern is his top-tier athleticism, but with the way Barnett wins—with power and hands—that’s not a big issue for me."

Film and Rave Reviews

NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks had some noteworthy comments about Barnett as we near the draft.

“With Barnett showing nearly identical skills, I believe the football world should pay closer attention to the best football player that no one is talking about,” Brooks wrote.

And by looking at one clip, courtesy of PFF’s Sam Monson, we can see how Barnett can bend his body to cut the corner and get behind his blocker:

The ability to get low and below the blocker — at 45 degrees or better — is the mark of any good pass-rusher at the NFL level. Barnett displays that and does so well.

So where does he fit with the 49ers?

Well, as noted above, he’d be an immediate improvement over Lynch and would instantly become the team’s premier pass-rusher.

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It’s worth considering, because elite-level pass-rushers are hard to find in today’s NFL. Great defenses have at least one. Good defenses can get by with an OK EDGE.

But Barnett is the kind of player worth building around. And it’s not hard to envision him wreaking havoc when paired next to the 49ers’ first-round pick from a year ago, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

Next: NFL Draft: Full Two-Round Mock for All 32 Teams

For that alone, Barnett is worth considering.