By Kip Earlywine
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 206
Projected 40: 4.53
Positives:
- Good concentration + nice habit of securing ball first
- Decent size, nice WR physique
- Fast downhill runner, good 2nd gear
- Jumpballer: leaps high and locates well
- Some good intangibles, can improvise to get open
- Productive, experienced
Negatives:
- Stiff runner, horizontal movement looks slow
- Not a good blocker (source)
- May or may not have the speed to match deep ball skill set.
- Played in an unconventional offense that inflated stats, in the MAC.
My Thoughts:
Freddy Barnes is probably going to be drafted in rounds 5-7. As such, it was really difficult to find much footage on him. These previews tend to give incomplete information and should be taken with a grain of salt, in this case, a bit more so. Sometimes I just don't have enough information to even form an initial impression, so in those cases I google scouting reports and fill in the gaps with those. That will become increasingly necessary as I preview later and later round prospects.
I didn't try to evaluate Barnes route running simply because I couldn't see enough to be sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say his route running is probably at least above average. He was getting a lot of separation on hooks and slants, and its probably a good indicator as well that he once had 22 catches in a single game (and averaged 13 catches a game last year). His stats were inflated, but its probably safe to say that getting open is a strength for Barnes.
If I had to make a clumsy comparison, I'd compare Barnes to DJ Hackett but with a better frame. Hackett was a great route runner who like Djack had a knack for getting open, but he was also a surprisingly good deep threat and showed tremendous intangibles and concentration. Hackett is 6'2", 208. Hackett was also a bit of a proven catch machine for Colorado but fell to the 5th round because of measurables. Unfortunately for Hackett, injuries ruined his career and he was ultimately just a very good #4. That's kind of how I see Barnes. He's probably a very good #4 for some team, and if everything breaks right, he could be a quality #2. He's a decent fit for our front offices desire for big WR, so he could be an option in the late rounds.
7 comments:
Seems like a decent YAC guy, if he runs good routes he could make it in the league. Maybe a Bobby Engram type.
Thanks for doing the write up Kip. Just shows your listening to your readers =o) Much appreciated.
I go to Idaho and I watched the Humanitarian bowl and Barnes seriously tore it up. I know it was against idaho but he was making guys, including Shiloh Keo who people say will eventually get drafted, look like children. Id be stoked if the hawks drafted him.
No problem Charles, I appreciate the tips because I hear about new players this way.
As a 6th 7-th round pick, he would be worth drafting & developing. Like his size and hands and nobody cathes that many passes w/o good talent.
What appeals to Barnes for me is that he doesn't really need much development. He's probably only going to be a #4, but I always expect WR injuries (we've had 2 a year going back forever), and he's the kind of guy that can come off the bench and be at the very least a Billy McMullen- an unspectacular but semi-reliable option. And best case scenario, he could actually be a pretty good starter, like Hackett was when healthy.
Hey all,
Just thought I would provide some input on this guy. If I had to compare his skill set to someone in the NFL... it would be Hines Ward. Both are converted qb's, both have deceptive speed and both have great hands.
I think this guy could be a steal in the later rds. He has great football instincts (finding soft spot in secondary). You have to think this guy was the best player on BG and every team knew it, but he still found ways to get open and put up huge numbers.
Yes, he isn't a burner. But he could be a great possesion wr and chain mover for teams in nfl (much like a steve smith for the Giants.)
Just thought I would add my 2 cents.
Post a Comment