The Detroit Lions might have found the answer to their long-running issue of pass coverage at linebacker with Derrick Barnes. The fourth-round rookie from Purdue has thrived in the preseason in the critical facet that has somehow eluded Detroit’s LB corps since DeAndre Levy’s heyday.
Barnes has been all over the field in the two preseason games, showing excellent range and alertness in coverage. The evaluators at Pro Football Focus have noticed, too. Barnes is the top-graded rookie linebacker in pass coverage with an elite grade of 91.7.
As PFF notes, his two passes defended really stand out. The rest of the rookie class has just five total. That’s precisely the kind of playmaking with the ball in the air the Lions have sorely lacked at LB.
Barnes primarily played as an edge rusher at Purdue, but he showed during Senior Bowl practices that he was comfortable dropping in coverage and running with targets in space. That’s part of why Lions GM Brad Holmes traded up for Barnes in the 2021 NFL draft. While it’s still a small sample size against backups from the Bills and Steelers, it’s still an impressive start to Barnes’ transition to off-ball backer.
Highest Coverage Grade among Rookie LBs in 2021 Preseason:
1. DET Derrick Barnes – 91.7🦁
2. NYJ Jamien Sherwood – 87.3
3. PIT Buddy Johnson – 82.0
4. DAL Micah Parsons – 79.4Barnes has 2 pass breakups this preseason, all other rookie LBs have combined for 5#OnePride pic.twitter.com/0xGVz7XEaC
— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) August 26, 2021
