Is Derek Barnett Really That Good?

[Whatever]

(04-14-2017, 05:33 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: That is one of the better arguments for drafting Barnett that I've seen on here.  Nice job, well written.



I'm in the crowd that was high on him, then I cooled a bit.  I watched a good bit of his bowl game this year, and he looked good, not fantastic.  I had trouble rationalizing what all the fuss was about.  Then I watch Demarcus Walker playing against a very good Michigan OL, and I'm just blown away. 

I'm not saying that Barnett isn't as good as his career numbers would imply, or that Walker is somehow better than Barnett.  The conclusion I draw to is that Walker seemed to be one to rise up in the big game, while Barnett seemed to be a bit neutralized.

As Bengal fans, we've seen plenty of "star" players that look great in some games, then seem to "disappear" when it comes to the big stage games, like Steelers games or playoff games.  I'd just prefer to see them draft a player, whoever it is that they choose, who's star shone brightest in the biggest games.

One thing that really nags me about Barnett is that he just seems lazy.  He didn't appear to be in good physical shape at the combine or his Pro Day.  When you look at the slow starts to his seasons(only 3 sacks in the first 4 weeks of his three seasons), that seems very indicative of a guy who isn't working hard in the off-season and is playing his way into football shape the first month of the season.