ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper has been on the Mark Barron to the New York Jets 2012 NFL Draft bandwagon for a while now. Fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay hopped aboard Friday when he chose the Alabama safety for the Jets with the 16th overall pick in version 2.0 of his 2012 NFL Mock Draft.
McShay wrote that “The Jets need help in the secondary to deal with the Patriots’ tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez twice a season, and Barron is the only 2012 safety prospect with a first-round grade. He does everything well, showing instincts and playmaking skills in coverage and the ability to be a physical run defender when playing near the box.”
It seems pretty much everyone agrees. CBS Sports says Barron is “Blessed with size, strength and instincts.” The only question about the Crimson Tide safety might be straight line speed. We haven’t gotten to the Scouting Combine or any of the Pro Day workouts, though, so Barron has plenty of time to answer that concern.