NFL Mock Draft 2017: Another QB on top?

50. <p>Any NFL team that loves Derek Barnett as much as I do should be happy that Myles Garrett exists. What I mean by that is that Garrett is taking up all of the oxygen in terms of teams looking at the (very) top of the draft, while Barnett flies under the radar as someone who could reasonably fall a bit but provide very similar production at the professional level.</p> <p>The 6-foot-3, 257-pound rising junior from Nashville has been incredibly impressive, churning out back-to-back seasons with 10 sacks or more for the Volunteers. Barnett isn’t the pure “freak” athlete that Garrett appears to be, but it isn’t as if he is far off, pairing that quality size with real explosiveness coming off the edge as a pass rusher.</p> <p>NFL teams know at this point that they can never have enough pass rushers, and that will continue to drive players like Barnett higher and higher on draft boards everywhere. Still, Derek Barnett should be considered a legitimate top-10 value in this class if he elects to declare following his junior season, and Tennessee will be crossing their fingers on the proposition of extracting four years of production out of their prized defensive end.</p>. DE. Tennessee. Derek Barnett. 8. player