NFL Combine Results: T.J. Barnes

T.J. Barnes, DT

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 369lbs

Arms: 34 7/8"

Hands: 10 3/4"

40-Yard Dash: 5.30 seconds

Bench Press: 25 Reps

Vertical Jump: 22 inches

Broad Jump: 97 inches (8 feet, 1 inch)

Analysis: For a whopping 370lbs, Barnes sure can move. His 40-yard dash time was faster than a slew of prospects who are significantly lighter than he is (not the least of whom was uga's Kwame Geathers, who recorded a 5.44 second performance at 355lbs). His weight may end up being an issue though, as Barnes had a bad track record in college of not being able to stay on the field for lengthy stretches. That endurance issue showed with his 25 bench press reps being roughly middle of the pack, where he was beat out by quite a few linebackers and a lot of D-Linemen. Honestly, one would hope that this would be a strength of defensive linemen, whose job more or less sums up to "be big and strong". To be honest, I'd consider an 8 foot broad jump to be pretty impressive, but it turns out that his was the second shortest measured jump in that category among D-Linemen and Linebackers. The only one shorter? I couldn't resist -- Geathers again, who came in last with 96 inches.

Bottom Line: Barnes' final evaluation is reported as "draftable prospect", which indicates he may be taken in the 6th or 7th round. Personally, I think Barnes is a phenomenal option for teams looking for a backup nose tackle in a 3-man front. I don't think Barnes is a starter who's good for 40-50 snaps per game (at least at this point), but is a guy who's more than capable of using his size and athleticism for creating major matchup problems for an offensive line while the starter's getting rest. Plus, given time to improve his physical shape, a guy with his frame could become a major force in the NFL at his position. Time will tell though.

That's just one man's semi-educated opinion, though. How do you feel about his chances in the draft and when it comes to playing on Sundays?