Mark Barron Scouting Report

Barron has a lot of things going for him as he approaches entry into the NFL Draft, and experience is certainly one of them. The safety has been a force at Alabama for four years now. He played in all 14 games as a freshman and made 18 tackles before stepping into a starting role as a sophomore in 2009. Barron has been a staple of an absolutely dominant Crimson Tide defense ever since. He led the SEC with seven interceptions that season then earned First Team All-SEC honors from both the coaches and the Associated Press in 2010. Through eight games of his senior campaign, Barron continues to lead the way--topping the team with 27 solo tackles. He has 40 total tackles (3.5 for loss) in addition to an interception and a fumble recovery.

NFL scouts will love Barron's size, as he registers at 6'2'' and 218 pounds. He has decent speed, too, generally running in the mid-4.5s in the 40-yard dash while being clocked as fast as 4.47 from that distance. Barron is a solid pass defender, but he is best at stepping into the box and playing against the run right behind the line of scrimmage. He is both a hard hitter and a sure tackler. One minor red flag is a torn pectoral muscle that hampered him in the 2010 season finale against Auburn, but Barron is fine now. Barring any setbacks or a surprisingly poor performance at the combine, Barron should be off the board in the first round of the upcoming draft and could be the first safety taken.