Austin Barber, OT Florida: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Barber was a three-star recruit from Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. in the class of 2021
Florida Gators left tackle Austin Barber is a developmental prospect who will likely forgo the 2024 NFL Draft and return to school. Barber appears to have the athletic traits to be a viable draft pick, but he’s a project player in need of technical refinement.
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Austin Barber, OT Florida: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt sophomore left tackle from Jacksonville, Fla.
Background: Barber was a three-star recruit from Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 559 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 563 for On3.com. Barber was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Minnesota before flipping to Florida. Barber helped Trinity Christian win the 2020 Florida Class 3A State Championship. He was a Times-Union Third Team All-First Coast selection in 2019. Barber also played basketball for Trinity Christian.
Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2023 Vanderbilt game with a lower body injury
Awards: 2022 First Team Freshman All-American (College Football News)
Pros: Experience playing right and left tackle, appears to have good arm length, smooth athlete, some nice reps with good knee bend, gains good depth in his initial step, explosive first step, light feet, potential range in pass pro, drives rushers up and around the pocket, mean streak in the run game, mauler mentality, finishes defenders to the ground, good leg drive, displaces 5-techs in the run game, power in the run game plays well against outside linebackers, uses opponent’s momentum to take them out of run plays, good at sealing defenders outside for B-gap runs, effective on combo blocks, comfortable climbing to the second level, menace at the second level
Cons: Committed 11 penalties (and counting) over the past year and a half, arm length is good but not great, lean for a tackle, pad level can be a little high, chest gets over his knees in pass pro with waist bending, upper body leaves his feet behind, lacks explosive agility after his first step, doesn’t match speed and tempo of pass rushers, footwork is too slow going up the arc, beat vertically way too often, held the defender but still allowed the sack against Georgia (2023) after an outside rip move, needs to be mindful of how big he's making the B-gap, body positioning and awareness of the football, late to recognize and redirect on stunts, struggles to re-anchor against speed to power, needs to anchor lower in stance, vulnerable to inside swim move, hands aren’t heavy and lack pop, hand placement is wide and not precise, allows defenders into his chest too easily, hands are swatted or swiped too easily, balance is inconsistent in the run game, ducks head into run blocks
Overview: Barber has starting experience at right and left tackle with at least 490 snaps in both roles. He appears to have good but not great arm length. Barber is a smooth athlete with light feet and good movement skills to make an impact in the run game. His build is still lean. Ideally, he’ll stack on another ten to 15 pounds before seeing playing time at the next level. Barber has some really nice reps in pass protection with good knee bend, but he allows his chest to drift over his knees because of waist bending. His pad level is inconsistent and should be an area he targets for improvement. Barber gains good depth with his initial explosive step in pass protection, but his footwork quickly falls apart. The redshirt sophomore’s upper body leaves his feet behind, especially when he’s threatened up the arc. He has the range in pass protection to avoid this flaw, but his attention to detail and body positioning aren’t there yet. This issue also raises questions about his lateral agility and ability to mirror and match the speed and tempo of edge rushers. The slow footwork and recognition seem more like technical and awareness issues rather than a physical problem, which is good for Barber’s long-term outlook. There are plenty of reps where Barber drives defenders up and around the pocket, but he still loses vertically too often. The Florida native needs to be careful of how much he widens the B-gap because he is vulnerable to inside swim moves and sometimes misses stunts. His tendency to lean contributes to the issue with swim moves. Barber needs to anchor lower in his stance and struggles to re-anchor against speed to power. His hand usage is raw. The former three-star recruit’s hands lack pop and are placed too wide, which allows defenders into his chest. His hands are predictable and easy to swat. Barber shines in the run game where his physicality and mauler mentality pop. His powerful leg drive and aggression help him finish defenders to the ground, and he digs out 5-techs. Outside linebackers fail to match his power. Barber excels at sealing defenders outside to open B-gap runs and is effective on combo blocks. His movement skills make him a menace at the second level. However, Barber’s balance is inconsistent in the run game, and he occasionally ducks his head into run blocks.
Overall, Barber is an excellent athlete with good power, but his hand usage, understanding of spacing, and play strength in pass protection need significant work. Barber is a candidate to return to school and shoot for one of the top tackle spots in 2025. Ideally, he will add more weight and begin winning more with technique than raw athleticism. Barber has sixth round tape but received a fifth round grade because of his untapped potential.
Role & Scheme Fit: Multi-year developmental left tackle in an inside zone scheme
Round Projection: Mid to Late Fifth Round
Size: 6'6", 300 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 11-10-23