2014 NFL Draft: Outside Linebacker Prospects You Should Know

In this series of articles, I will be picking one position group each week from which I will be choosing four players to evaluate.  There will be three that you’ve probably heard of, and one that you probably haven’t. I am not linking any of these players to the Chiefs. This is merely to introduce you all to the upcoming prospects. Please enjoy and I look forward to reading your comments

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Barr – 6’4 248lbs – UCLA

Barr is an interesting prospect considering he was playing fullback only two years ago and was in jeopardy of fading into obscurity. He hauled in 12 receptions over two seasons and it seemed as if he might be just another elite athlete playing a position used sparingly in the NFL in today’s game. That was until 2012 when Jim Mora Jr. and staff let Barr test the waters at outside linebacker and he hasn’t looked back since. In his first year at the position, Barr had 13 sacks, 83 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, and five passes defended. So far this year, Barr as totaled 43 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, and one pass defended. His knowledge of how to block for an offense has helped with his instincts when it comes to finding the play in the backfield and he hits like he loves it. If you get hit by Barr, you’ll know the next day. He is extremely fast and closes in on ball carriers faster than any other linebacker in the draft. He’s projected to be the second defensive player drafted after Clowney but depending on team needs, he may even go before Clowney. Barr is a top five pick in this year’s draft.