Analysis
by Pro Football Weekly:
Notes:
Four-year letterman whose playing time increased every year. Gained 108
yards and two touchdowns on 27 attempts and had six catches for 140 yards
and one score as a true freshman in 1997. Barlow got his first start in
'98 and ended the year with a team-leading 533 yards on the ground and
four touchdowns on 121 carries while catching 11-140-1. Second-team All-Big
East pick in '99 despite starting only four games and missing the opener
with an ankle injury. Carried 141-630-6 and had six catches for 94-1. Started
all but one game in 2000 and carried 197-1,053-8 and caught 13-134-1. Had
a career game in his regular-season finale vs. West Virginia, rushing for
272 yards and scoring four times.
Positives: Excellent size and very good speed. Shifty for his size and also can run with power. Has improved every year. He has games when he looks like he can be a legitimate NFL No. 1 back and solid first-round pick. Has improved his blocking and receiving skills and gotten better in all areas every year. Negatives: Hot-and-cold player who lacks consistency. Is too much of a finesse runner in some games. Still needs a lot of work on his blocking skills and securing the football, as he will fumble at times. Seems to lose his focus and concentration a lot more often than he should. Does not look like he has great vision in some games. Summary: The type of player who could return top-pick value if he will pay the price, but that still is a big if.
Info from The War Room: Inside running: Is a big, strong, shifty runner with great lower-body strength and power, but never has been an exceptional inside runner. Lacks patience and still is learning to pick his holes. Will dance too much, wasting time, and doesn't always run tough. Has shown flashes and improved tremendously his senior season, but still has some learning to do. Grade: 6.0 Outside running: Is a real threat when getting outside. Has great speed, and is a shifty runner who makes people miss. Emerged during senior season as a top open-field runner with a lot of brilliant moves. Grade: 6.7 Blocking: Has impressive blocking skills. Has a great base, and uses lower body to uproot oncoming blitz. Is a heads-up player who knows where to be, and usually finishes assignments. Grade: 6.5 Hands/routes: Made some money during Senior Bowl week, displaying soft hands. Has a great ability to pull the ball out of the air, and makes tough catches running backs usually do not make. Grade: 6.2 Durability: Has carried the ball a lot without any real injury troubles. Is well built, and has been very durable. Grade: 6.2 Bottom line: Barlow was the most impressive back at the Senior Bowl, displaying a powerful running style and impressive hands. He has the size/speed combination to be a real sleeper, and we expect that he will be drafted no later than the second round. Dan Pompei analysis
Player Bio
What he does have is a great size/speed ratio that makes him a terror whenever turned loose on the outside. He also makes people miss out in the open. In the passing game he can block and catch, meaning he has some life in the game even if he doesn't turn out to be a great every-play running threat. He did have a problem fumbling the ball his senior year and that might give a few teams pause before selecting him. He looks to be a second- or third-round pick. --Profile by STATS, Inc.
Info from CBS SportsLine: Big, physical running back closed out his career with a strong finish that has him challenging for a first-round grade in April. Barlow came on fast late in his senior year, and he helped lift the Panthers into a bowl game vs. Iowa St. He is a well-built runner who combines size with quickness, strength, balance and vision. He hits the line quickly with the ability to slide laterally and pick an opening, and the authority to run over tacklers. He has shown the ability to adjust well on his runs with the instincts to find the soft spots in a defense and make the most yardage. He has been inconsistent over his career which has left some scouts leery of his production as a pro. He did almost double his career production as a senior. He is at his best running inside where his strong leg drive, body control and lateral quickness allow him to take a seam and gain positive yardage. He runs with tremendous body lean and is rarely pushed backwards. He has good field speed and shows the ability to get through the hole fast that allows him to run in a downhill style. He lacks top speed and can not run away from defenders. He relies on vision, power, quickness and instincts to make the best of each attempt. As a junior, he started only 4 games and rushed for 630 yards on 141 attempts and 6 TDs. He caught only 6 passes for 94 yards and 1 TD but did display the ability to make yardage after the catch. He is a sure-handed receiver but has not been involved in a complex passing game and needs further work on his route running and reading defenses. He is an honest runner who gets the maximum on every attempt with the ability to finish the play with power and body lean. He has fine cutback running skills with the ability to maintain good speed to get outside. He has all the tools to be a top NFL feature back, showing the combination of quickness, power and speed. His combination of strength and quickness allows him to make much yardage after contact, especially in tough situations when few openings appear along the line. At the combine, he did not run or work out. He is an under-developed blocker and needs extensive work on his technique. At the Senior Bowl, he had an impressive week but did not distinguish himself in the blocking drills, especially the blitz situations. He has been a durable runner over the past two seasons, missing only one game with an ankle sprain. He also protects the ball well and gives defenders few clean shots at his body. He has the athletic package and the natural running skills to be an early starter in the NFL. Tough athletic back with the talent to start if he works to refine his entire game. Boom or bust player and risky top 40 pick. Probable 2nd round pick with the Browns, Pats and Chiefs interested. Draft Projection: Second Round
Info from FoxSports.com: For a big back, Barlow shows good quickness to the hole at times. As an interior runner, he shows good lower body strength to grind out some yardage, especially due to his lower body strength. He will show some balance and body lean when he is working to get tough yards. He shows good leg drive with his strong lower body. Once he gets to the second level, he is tough to tackle and will fall forward on his runs. For a big back, Barlow also shows adequate vision in the hole and is improving. On the outside runs, he is showing adequate to good quickness to the perimeter. He has adequate burst to turn the corner and get upfield. He is not a real elusive runner, but can make a good first cutback step and is progressing. As a blocker, Barlow doesn’t show much of an effort to make ideal contact nor sustain. In pass protection, he needs to job a lot better job setting up and identifying the blitzer. As a pass catcher, his hands are not natural, but he is improving and shows that he can snatch the ball. He is more of a dump off guy in the flat rather than a route runner, but he shows the potential to develop in this area. He is also improving his ability to gain yardage after the catch due to his good burst and feet while he is not easy to tackle with his size. He does need to hold the ball more efficiently to prevent fumbles. He tends to let the ball become too much of a target for defenders. Barlow has the ability to become a short yardage back at the pro level if he learns to take advantage of his quickness and strength for his size. He is improving at a solid pace and is still developing. He also has the potential to become a solid starter as he rounds off his game because the tools are there for him to develop. The different will be how he approaches the game. He is not noted as a self-starter. Grades as a second to third round pick although some teams grade him higher. Grade: 5.8 xxx xxx Questionable attitude or work ethic.
Info from CNN/SI: Barlow is a big tailback who was an underachiever most of his career but came on strong late in his senior year and stood out at the Senior Bowl. He is a good athlete with an impressive combination of moves and power. Barlow needs to improve as a blocker and his lack of consistent productivity is a concern.
Info from FansOnly.com: POSITIVES...Very physical inside runner with big thighs and thick calves...Runs with good body lean, displays solid in-line lateral quickness...Has a good feel for the defenders and knows how to avoid them in the open...Breaks tackles on contact with his leg drive...Has the agility to bounce outside and the acceleration to get the most out of his speed upfield...His lateral movements will generally make the initial tackler miss...Has the agility to adjust in his pass routes, adjusting and catching the ball with his hands properly extended away from his body...Has the body control to take a seam to gain extra yardage... Shows good avoidance skills running between the tackles. NEGATIVES...Has a lot of growing up to do off the field and needs quite a bit of prodding from coaches in practice to "stay focused"...Moody and surly, at times and lacks dedication to learn football techniques needed to match his impressive athletic ability... Shows inconsistencies coming off the snap, as he seems to lack that necessary sudden burst needed...Even though he has great speed for a player of his size, he rarely displays fluid hip swerve or the burst to run away from defenders after the initial hit...While effective as a receiver, he needs route definement and has to do a better job of being aware of where defenders are...Aligns and positions himself properly when blocking in pass protection, but has no focus on the job at hand...Even though he has the size of a fullback, he lacks the ability (or desire) and technique to be considered an effective lead blocker...His history of poor work habits and a surly attitude may out-weigh his talent, unless he matures in a hurry...Has a strong lower frame, but needs to dedicate time in the weight room to develop his upper body. CAREER NOTES...A part-time starter for most of his career, Kevan finally was given the opportunity to be the Panthers' full-time tailback in 2000 and responded with a banner season...With only fifteen starts under his belt for his career, he still managed to amass 2324 yards with 20 touchdowns on 486 carries (4.8 avg), becoming only the ninth player in school history to rush for over 2000 yards in a career (ranks seventh on Pittsburgh's all-time record list)...Ranks 11th on Pittsburgh's career scoring list with 144 points. REMINDS ME OF...Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis. GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL...This kid can be a load and a half, when he puts his mind to it. Prior to the Senior Bowl, most teams had him listed as a "bad character" type, but after a strong showing during the week's practices, the fickle general managers seem blind to his immaturity. Boom or bust type who will only have himself to blame if he does not take advantage of this one last opportunity. |
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