Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman and coach Chuck Smith broke down the playmaking abilities of Philadelphia end Derek Barnett.
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The Philadelphia Eagles hired a Tennessee football defensive line legend in Chuck Smith to break down all four of their defensive linemen. Included in that was fellow former Vols star Derek Barnett.
A report from The Eagles Wire quoted Smith’s takes on Barnett, Tim Jernigan, Elijah Qualls and Marcus Smith.
His report on Barnett was highly complimentary.
You can click the link for the quotes, but in summary, Smith called Barnett the toughest guy in the draft. He went further.
He flat-out called Barnett the best defensive lineman in the draft, complimenting his effort along with his fundamentals.
Now, that may come across as being a homer, but remember that Smith’s departure from Knoxville was not smooth. He had a rocky relationship with the rest of Derek Dooley’s defensive staff in 2010, the one year he was an assistant coach.
However, with Dooley and that defensive staff gone, his homer feelings could come back.
But he has a coaching reputation on the line, as he now works with defensive linemen that come out of every NFL Draft.
So he wouldn’t want to be a homer if he’s trying to keep his job.
As a result, we say that he’s coming from a place of complete objectivity on Derek Barnett. That’s the same for us.
Remember that before the NFL Draft we had a report on why Derek Barnett was a much better prospect than Myles Garrett.
We still stand by that.
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And a highly reputable defensive line coach stands by that as well. As a result, the evidence is stronger than ever that Barnett will be a breakout superstar above all other defensive linemen in this past year’s NFL Draft. Take that to the bank.