Michael Barrett Jr, 240

[Fletch59]

 Last pick, Michael Barrett Jr, Michigan. 5'11, 233, 4.7 40.  When you're talking sub-6' defenders, sure, I'm looking at arms and wings and he's appropriately large there (32, 78" respectively).  Two year starter and another 6th year senior, starting three years of four after he became a full-time defender. Productive enough, 208 total tackles, 12.5 TFL, and 8.5 sacks to go with 4 FF, 6 PD, and 2 INT.  Gadget offensive player who was a HS QB, he threw for a 25 yard special teams pass on a punt and has 600+ special teams snaps in his career. Shows range, has good burst and can play sideline to sideline; Barrett shows good balance to sidestep and get to the ball cleanly.   Tackles very well.   He struggles a bit to disengage from guards, so he's best side-stepping. He's an excellent pass defender, good instincts for zone and though size is light, he can run with guys in man and bully inside receivers (he was never flagged in college, it appears). A consensus 249, in range with where he went; he was at one point, high as 78.  Some chatter suggests he'd have shown higher had he not had a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl and slowed him at combine. Played mostly 4-2-5 LB and Viper (big S/LB man coverage role), in the Jesse Minter defense along with more traditional alignments for Mike MacDonald. 
What I see is, generally, a special teamer but a very good one.  I'll have to see him rise to the defense but, as of yet there are only two vets that really matter here in Carolina, and the higher draft pick Trevin Wallace.  If Barrett can show up as easily as he has on film so far, he should beat the thin depth that already exists to take a 4th or 5th ILB spot. 

Source: http://absolutepanthers.blogspot.com/fe ... ts/default