2011 NFL Draft Prospect: Tim Barnes, Missouri
By Editorial Staff
6-4 310lbs Senior
Pros:
Tim Barnes is an athletic center for the University of Missouri. His quickness suites him well for the Tigers offense, as he was asked to pull occasionally . His pass protection would be a strength. Gave the occasional punch to knock down defenders. Dominated opponents he was supposed to. Very intelligent athlete. Named to the 2010 Outland Trophy preseason watch list, which is given to the top OL/DL after the season.
Cons
The film I watched showed that Tim Barnes had the tendency to stand straight up when engaging in either a pass or run block. He also lost leg drive and would try to muscle his defender out of the picture. Higher level opponents often had their way with him(Ndamukong Suh, LaMarr Houston, Jared Crick). He doesn’t seem to have the anchor/leg strength to hold his own in the NFL, especially against the 3-4 NT.
Thoughts:
The only chance I see for Tim Barnes to have a shot is if he gets drafted by a zone blocking team. Best case scenario would be a taller version of Casey Wiegmann, he uses his quickness and smarts to survive in the league.
Projected Round:
Tim Barnes has a great opportunity to climb the draft boards this season. If the draft were today I grade him as a 6th/7th round pick, with a strong 2010 he could climb into the 5th.
-jcmadson also works for Integrity Sports Broadcasting Network out of Kansas City, MO. Listen Live at www.ISBNteam.com, also follow him on twitter @isbnJMAD