Derrick Barnes played all over the defense in his college career at Purdue. Name the LB role and Barnes did it for the Boilermakers. The versatility was a big calling card, but finding where he fits best in the Detroit Lions defense is a question that stems from Barnes’ broad skillset.
In a recent interview on Sirius XM NFL Radio, Lions head coach Dan Campbell revealed how he sees Banes, who the Lions traded up into the fourth round to draft, fitting in his defensive scheme.
Host Pat Kirwan led into the discussion on Barnes by noting from his interview with Barnes in March,
“(Barnes) wants to play middle linebacker position, he wants to run the show.”
The head coach agreed, and it proved a great segue for Campbell to talk about the fourth-round pick.
“He’s got an old-school mentality about him,” Campbell said with obvious pride. “He’s already reached out to me, he wants to be No. 55. I mean, how throwback is 55 for an inside backer?”
Barnes thrived in the attacking inside backer role in his final season at Purdue and reinforced it by excelling in Senior Bowl practices playing inside. Campbell noted how well Barnes’ 34-inch arms allow him to shed blocks, something he covets from his off-ball backers. But he was also quick to emphasize how well Barnes blitzes, and that figures to be a significant component to his role in Detroit, too.