He has the pedigree if not the production. But no matter what negatives are attached to Alabama’s Christian Barmore, he may shed them like blockers and become the first defensive tackle taken in this year’s draft.
The question is whether his selection will arrive in the first round. Or the second. Or according to the evaluation of Warren Sapp, not before the third.
“That’s in God’s hands,” Barmore said of where he might get drafted. “I am just going to keep working, keep grinding but I am going to put that in God’s hands.”
The Bucs may need some divine intervention to fill their biggest need on a team that returns 22 starters. The interior defensive line has been addressed by the Bucs only once in the first three rounds of the draft since 2010.
They selected Vita Vea 12th overall out of Washington in 2018. Vea, 16, is an extraordinary player when healthy, and the club plans to pick up his fifth-year team option for 2022.
But the players around him are aging quickly. Ndamukong Suh is 34 and playing under another one-year deal. William Gholston, who will turn 30 in July, is in the final year of his contract. Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who will turn 28 the same month, has two years remaining on his deal but only 2021 is guaranteed.
The Bucs got some much-needed help by trading for Jets defensive tackle Steve McLendon after Vea broke his leg in Chicago last season. McLendon, now 35, recently signed another one-year deal.
Finally, the Bucs used a sixth-round pick in 2021 on Khalil Davis. But the Nebraska defensive tackle is a developmental project who played on only two games as a rookie, recording one tackle.
The fact is that it’s becoming harder to find impactful defensive tackles. This year’s draft certainly doesn’t compare to 2019, when Alabama’s Quinnen Williams and Houston’s Ed Oliver were drafted in the top 10.
The last time a defensive tackle didn’t go in the first round was 2017 and it could happen again this year. So why does is appear that Barmore’s name may be called in the draft before any other defensive tackle?
![Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore celebrates a sack against Notre Dame during the College Football Playoff semifinals.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"%20viewBox="0%200%203000%202000"/%3E "Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore celebrates a sack against Notre Dame during the College Football Playoff semifinals.")
Start with the fact he played for Nick Saban at Alabama, giving Barmore a huge platform of national TV games.
A knee injury, however, derailed Barmore at the start of the season. He essentially was only a one-year starter for the Crimson Tide.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said Barmore could make an immediate impact as a pass rusher who is able to beat one-on-ones. The Bucs rotate their defensive linemen, which would give Barmore plenty of work as a rookie.
“Attack-oriented defensive tackle with a big body, violent hands and the talent to work his way around blocks and the football,” Zierlein said. “Barmore tends to be in the lead and take control of a majority of reps. His hands and feet sing in harmony and allow him to stay active and free from attempts to sustain blocks against him.”
Sapp, however, is singing a different tune when it comes to Barmore.
The Bucs’ Hall of Fame defensive tackle drove from Miami to Tampa to work with Barmore at the performance center owned and operated by former Bucs receiver Yo Murphy.
“I was excited to see this big (kid),” Sapp said of the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Barmore. “I thought if I could teach him how to rush, he would be a nightmare. I showed him the five steps to the quarterback. He couldn’t do 1-2.
“I never had worked with a player who hadn’t at least watched my film.”
Sapp admits that draft analysts likely have Barmore rated higher than some scouts. “He was in the national championship game and I thought that kid can ball out,” Sapp said. “I couldn’t wait to get to Tampa and work him out.”
Now Sapp insists Barmore may be no better than a third-round pick.
After a slow start Barmore caught fire during the five games leading into the national championship vs. Ohio State.
He recorded five sacks, 10 hurries and 16 quarterback pressures. Against the Buckeyes, Barmore recorded five tackles and a sack.
“Christian Barmore had a lot of sacks down the stretch,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “I mean, he was very, very good late in the year … as being that major-league talent up front that was a guy that was a fear factor player getting after the quarterback.
“Remember, the pass rush is so necessary on that defense of protecting the back end, and Barmore was a guy who was able to do it. So he’s borderline (first round).”
Exactly where the Bucs own the 32nd overall pick.
NFL draft
Thursday: Round 1, 8 p.m
Friday: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Rounds 4-7, noon
TV/streaming: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
Bucs picks: 32nd overall (Day 1); 64th and 95th (Day 2); and 137th, 176th, 217th, 251st, 259th (Day 3)
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