Minnesota Vikings surprise star: Linebacker Anthony Barr

The Minnesota Vikings’ defense is loaded with talent at every level of the field, but Anthony Barr is a surprise this year after a down 2016…

The Minnesota Vikings boast one of the most talented, athletic defensive groups in the NFL, with elite level players on the line, at linebacker, and in the defensive backfield. One player who was somewhat of a question mark coming into the 2017 season was linebacker Anthony Barr, the former first round pick out of UCLA.

Barr was once considered one of the best defensive prospects in the country, and proved those people who believed in him right when he came into the NFL and was good from the very start.

Barr showed great improvement from his rookie season to his second season in the NFL, appearing to really establish himself within the Vikings’ defense and show off his versatility as a three-down linebacker.

In fact, Barr was one of the highest graded off-ball linebackers in the NFL, racking up 54 total tackles with 27 pressures on the quarterback, three forced fumbles, an interception, and seven passes broken up.

It was a Pro Bowl season for Barr, but 2016 was a different story entirely. Barr’s stats and production took a significant dip as he played a career-high 1,025 snaps. He didn’t look like the same player at all and there were rumors that injuries were the primary culprit for that.

So far in 2017, Barr has been a ‘surprise’ stud for the Vikings, apparently returning to his 2015 form and putting up good numbers again.

More than just the numbers, we’re seeing this type of explosiveness from Barr:

As much as you don’t like to get too caught up in statistics, Barr is on pace to set career highs in stops this season, racking up 12 through the Vikings’ first four games of the year. His career high (41) came back in 2015 and he’s currently on pace for 48.

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With Barr returning for form as a run defender, the next area I’d like to see him get more involved in is in the pass rush department. Barr has two total pressures so far this season because he’s not being used that much as a pass rusher.

One reason why the Vikings were faithful to Barr after a down season, enough to pick up his fifth-year option (over $12 million in base salary in 2018), is because he not only plays the off-ball linebacker position as well as just about anyone in the NFL today, but he is a very good pass rusher and edge player when called upon.

Not many weakside linebackers rush the passer as well as Barr from a base 4-3 look defensively, but this is a rare type of player and the Vikings have found the best ways of using him in the past. He’s been a stud so far in the 2017 season, and I expect him to continue trending upward as the year progresses.