Mark Barron's Player Profile

Mark Barron is the perfect cut out of a safety. At about 6ft2 220lbs he strikes like a linebacker, and can run down passes like a wr. The fact that Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick are dbs for bama is a testament to the mastery of Nick Saban. Either of these guys could have taken their pick of what college to go to and if they chose could have been excellent on the offensive side and probably would have got them more limelight but they made the wise decision to use their elite tools and learn a defensive position with the purpose of competing for a championship. The reward is great team and individual success as well as a 1st round draft grade which he probably wouldn’t have gotten at an offensive position. As a sophomore Barron was the 2nd leading tackler for a bama team that won the national title and interception leader for the conference. He is a wrap up tackler who is known for remember me hits, he can play near the line of scrimmage or off it. I just don’t see too many assignments that Mark will not be able to carry out affectively. He is like another LB in run support, he has the size and fluidity to cover TEs or even slot receivers, he can comfortably play in the box or blitz or play in zone. Mark is instinctual at reading qbs and routes. He is excellent in pursuit, great burst and does not overrun ball carriers. He is tough against the run, skilled against the pass, well coached and comes from a NFL style winning program. Mark can also be a valuable special teams player.

It is tough to project a guy in the first half of the 1st round when their best year was 2 years ago. Last year was mostly wiped out because of injury and this year statistically he does not look as impressive but when you watch games you can see that he is making a big contribution every week. Also, there was an arrest going into the year so there has to be medical and character checks done. Mark likes to roam as a safety and look for the big hit and today’s NFL is not advocating this style of play, they want to see safeties in coverage not hunting down defenseless receivers so considering that he will have to tailor his style of play a bit.
Player profile submitted by: Tom Patterson

Would you like to write a player profile for any prospect that may be entering the 2012 NFL Draft? Email profiles of any player (even player’s not on our list) to our Webmaster. Credit will be given to the author of the profile.

Mark Barron Videos

Mark Barron Highlights 2011

Mark Barron Highlights

Mark Barron NFL Draft Analysis - 2010 Season

Interception TD by Alabama's Mark Barron

Mark Barron 2009

Click here to return