Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore has become one of the more popular projections for the Cleveland Browns’ first-round selection in this week’s NFL draft. Some recent derogatory reports cast some doubt on Barmore’s NFL potential, however, and could dissuade the Browns from having that level of interest.
In his annual must-read series of quotes and evaluations from anonymous scouts around the league, The Athletic’s Bob McGinn turned up several unsavory remarks and thoughts on Barmore. From McGinn’s quotes,
“Somebody will probably reach on him because there aren’t any of these guys,” a third scout said. “I think you’re going to take some lumps with him. He doesn’t have a ton of experience. He’s not a finished product. Best thing he does is rush inside.”
Several teams expressed concerns about what they say is his resistance to coaching and structure at Alabama.
“He’s benefiting from the guys who played there,” said a fourth scout. “He’s just a big (guy) who doesn’t make plays. At ‘Bama, they rotate guys like 80/20 or 70/30. This guy, it’s like 50/50, where he’s in and out of the game.”
Barmore is widely regarded as the best interior defensive lineman in the class, something McGinn and the anonymous scouts he quotes readily acknowledge. He’s still a young player, just 21 years old, and flashed some dominant moments as a pocket-collapsing presence for the Crimson Tide.
It’s always important to pace the proper value and context in quotes from anonymous sources. But there are apparent concerns as to Barmore’s NFL potential, and that could impact the Browns decision at No. 26 overall.