Anthony Barr, Senior, Linebacker, UCLA
Overview:
After missing most of his senior year of high school with a broken ankle, Anthony Barr came to UCLA as a prospect without a set position, AKA an "athlete." He was ranked as the fifth best athlete by Rivals.com that season, meaning he was the fifth most talented guy without a position in the nation...whatever that's worth. His freshman season at UCLA, Barr played running back. As a sophomore, he continued to play offense but saw some time on special teams as well. It wasn't until his junior year that Anthony Barr play the linebacker position, but boy did he play it well. He was an AP second team All-American and first team All-Pac-12 selection. Barr finished in the top five nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss. In his first year as a starting linebacker, Anthony Barr was a one-man wrecking crew.
Final Projection:
It would have been interesting to see how much weight NFL teams would have put on that junior season had Barr entered the draft in 2013. Instead, he probably made the right decision by returning to school and proving it was not a fluke, if it's even possible for production like that to be fluky. Assuming Barr and UCLA have a respectable season, it is likely Anthony will be one of the first three linebackers taken in the 2014 draft. An early first round selection is in order for the converted h-back.
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