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Let’s take a closer look at what safety Mark Barron brings to the table.
First of all, at a tad under 6-2, and around 215 pounds, he certainly looks the part
You have to love the fact that he played four years at Alabama, so he should come in ready to roll immediately in the NFL.
Alabama is the best program in the country, winning two of the last four national championships.
And two of the last three seasons, he served as a captain, so that tells you something about his leadership ability.
Considering all the big games he’s played in over the last four years, playing in high-pressure, premier program, making the jump to the NFL should not faze him much.
Also remember, Nick Saban, aside from being a great head coach, is a secondary guru. He’s been coaching defensive backs for a long time, and is very involved with that group, even when he’s a head coach.
So Barron got trained by one of the best defensive back teachers around.
Also helping Barron in his preparation for the NFL is playing in an NFL-style defense at Alabama, under Saban, who was a head coach and assistant in the NFL.
Barron is a very good all-around safety, who is excels against the pass and the run. In his second to last college game, he had 11 tackles against Mississippi State. He’s a very good tackler, who throws his body around more like a small linebacker than a safety.
As far as Barron against the pass, he had seven picks in this first year as a starter in 2009. He has very good hands which helps him in the interception department. Also helping him in this area are his above average instincts. He is good at recognizing routes.
One concern about him in coverage are his hips, which are a little stiff, and that hurts his fluidity somewhat. He’s also a little better playing in a zone compared to man-to-man. It will be interesting to see what he runs in the 40 at the combine. If he can run 4.5 or better, he will make himself a lot of money. There are some questions about this top-end speed, so he needs to clock good times at the combine and/or his Pro Day.
The Jets have some major question marks at safety right now.
Brodney Pool and Jim Leonhard are free agents, and Leonhard is coming off a serious knee injury. Also, Eric Smith might be best suited for the #3 safety spot. Smith does a lot of good things, especially against the run, but lacks ideal speed in coverage, and his hips are a little stiff. His best role is as a rotational safety and core special team’s player.
The other safety of note in the mix in Florham Park is Tracy Wilson (Northern Illinois), a practice squad player last year, who was elevated to the regular roster when Leonhard hurt his knee. He was still learning the system when he got elevated, so wasn’t a big help on defense, though he did have an impact on special teams. A whole off-season to get the system down will help him, and he should be a factor in 2012.
So with all this uncertainty, it seems like Barron would be a terrific fit for the Jets at 16.
If the Jets are ever going to get over the Patriots hump, they need to cover tight ends better, and Barron would be a big help.
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