On a defense filled with playmakers, Mark Barron managed to make a tremendous impact last fall. The first year starting sophomore notched 75 tackles (42 solo) and hauled in an uber-impressive seven interceptions. As a result, it’s no surprise that Barron has the potential to become a very good draft prospect. The Bama safety debuted at #26 overall on MockingTheDraft’s initial 2011 Top 75.

However, it’s yet to be seen whether Barron will rise into the “elite” category or simply remain an above average prospect.

At 6’2″, 210 lbs., Barron possesses great size and above average upper body strength. If he can get his mitts on the ball-carrier, Barron most likely will come up with the tackle. For the most part, Barron is a reliable open-field tackler, but his slightly stiff hips can lead to him getting juked in the open field. And though he hustles, the leggy Keep Reading…

Dontay Moch first caught the attention of the online draft community when reports emerged of his blazing 4.25 40. However, the Nevada DE’s long been a known entity to fans of the WAC, as well as opposing teams’ offensive coordinators.

Over the last two years, Moch has notched 18 sacks and an eye-popping 37 tackles for loss. His sack numbers dropped in ‘09, but that was in part due to Dontay frequently facing double teams. And when I watched him against some of the better competition he faced last year – Notre Dame, Missouri, Boise State, and SMU – he was relentlessly disruptive.

Moch’s 4.25 40 almost seems too amazing to be accurate, and to a certain extent that’s true.

As TFY Draft’s Tony Pauline noted in his excellent podcast, Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick surprisingly timed in the 4.4s on the same surface that Moch ran his Keep Reading…

Moving right along in our “better late than never” draft grades series, Aaron Aloysius takes a look at the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons: B

Since taking over the Falcons in 2008, GM Tom Dimitroff has focused on bringing in high character, self-motivated players. Unsurprisingly, that trend continued in this year’s draft, with the Falcons selecting several prospects who earned high marks for leadership and excellent intangibles.

In the first round, the Falcons selected Sean Weatherspoon, one of our Red Star players. Weatherspoon truly is the “complete package” – he’s an aggressive, rangy linebacker who fires up his teammates with his never-ending energy. Though Weatherspoon wasn’t quite as impressive at a bulked up 250 lbs. in ’09, the Falcons should be able to get him down to his proper weight and bring him back to his ’08 form. If that happens, Weatherspoon could be the leader of that Keep Reading…

Feeling a little bit empty inside now that the draft is over with? Sure…training camp hasn’t even started but what else are you gonna do? Aaron Aloysius takes you through the first of our “way too early” mock drafts. **Disclaimer** Though two of the writers of Draft Breakdown are from Baltimore, please note that this was written by Aaron, who is from the Cleveland area. We don’t want to come across as being biased

1. Buffalo Bills Jake Locker – QB – Washington

Chan Gailey had some success with Tyler Thigpen and reportedly coveted Tim Tebow. In Jake Locker, Gailey gets a more polished, NFL-ready version of those two QBs. Locker showed tremendous progress last year, closing out the season with an impressive performance against Cal. He’ll likely have to fend off rising redshirt Sophomore Andrew Luck for the top QB spot in next year’s draft, but his Keep Reading…

Moving right along in our “better late than never” draft grades series, Aaron Aloysius takes a look at the NFC North.

Chicago Bears: B

The Bears were majorly short-handed this April, having traded away their first two picks for Jay Cutler and the late Gaines Adams. They still managed to bring in some promising prospects, in part because they drafted players who underwent injury, experience, or system-based draft slides. The major question, however, is whether the players they brought in are good fits for Chicago’s system. For a couple of their picks, the answer remains unclear. With their first pick, coming early in the 3rd round, the Bears brought in Florida safety Major Wright. Wright’s a hard hitter and proved to be a better athlete than expected during his Combine workout, but he declared after a junior season in which he didn’t make many plays or generate very Keep Reading…