Many have a love/hate relationship with McShay but it's cool to hear positivity like this about a Longhorn legend.
"I Can’t Get Enough of Jahdae Barron
I’m planting my flag right now: Jahdae Barron is the best pure defensive back in this class. I’ve got him ranked no. 2 behind two-way star Travis Hunter among DBs, but you can’t tell me there are 10 better football players in this class than Barron. There are nickel defenders that I fall in love with every year or so, and Barron is the latest. Another recent player was Brian Branch a couple of years ago. I remember then-Alabama coach Nick Saban called me and chastised me for saying how much I loved Branch, because Saban thought he needed another year in college. Michigan’s Mike Sainristil was another example in last year’s draft. I couldn’t believe he fell to pick no. 50.
One thing that jumps out from Barron’s tape is how he plays all over the field: He lined up outside at cornerback a lot more this past season, but he also thrives at nickel, at deep free safety, and even at linebacker depth in the middle of the field. He also plays more man coverage than he gets credit for but he’s clearly best-suited in a zone-heavy role in the NFL.
He doesn’t have 4.4 speed, and if he gets behind a receiver on a crossing route or because of a rub mesh (or even working around a referee, which I recently saw on tape), and the ball is thrown on time, he’s not catching up. But he has such good instincts that he can protect himself against that 95 percent of the time. I’d be shocked if he ran a 4.4 40 at the combine, but remember, Branch ran a 4.58, which is probably why he fell just outside the first round. But I don’t care: Barron is better than Branch.
But of all the great aspects of Barron’s game I’ve seen watching his tape, my favorite is his ability to detach the ball from a receiver. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen doing it. If he gets in there on time or even a quarter-count late, he uses his body control and reflexes to dislodge the ball before the receiver even knows what’s happened."
mcshay-report.beehiiv.com
"I Can’t Get Enough of Jahdae Barron
I’m planting my flag right now: Jahdae Barron is the best pure defensive back in this class. I’ve got him ranked no. 2 behind two-way star Travis Hunter among DBs, but you can’t tell me there are 10 better football players in this class than Barron. There are nickel defenders that I fall in love with every year or so, and Barron is the latest. Another recent player was Brian Branch a couple of years ago. I remember then-Alabama coach Nick Saban called me and chastised me for saying how much I loved Branch, because Saban thought he needed another year in college. Michigan’s Mike Sainristil was another example in last year’s draft. I couldn’t believe he fell to pick no. 50.
One thing that jumps out from Barron’s tape is how he plays all over the field: He lined up outside at cornerback a lot more this past season, but he also thrives at nickel, at deep free safety, and even at linebacker depth in the middle of the field. He also plays more man coverage than he gets credit for but he’s clearly best-suited in a zone-heavy role in the NFL.
He doesn’t have 4.4 speed, and if he gets behind a receiver on a crossing route or because of a rub mesh (or even working around a referee, which I recently saw on tape), and the ball is thrown on time, he’s not catching up. But he has such good instincts that he can protect himself against that 95 percent of the time. I’d be shocked if he ran a 4.4 40 at the combine, but remember, Branch ran a 4.58, which is probably why he fell just outside the first round. But I don’t care: Barron is better than Branch.
But of all the great aspects of Barron’s game I’ve seen watching his tape, my favorite is his ability to detach the ball from a receiver. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen doing it. If he gets in there on time or even a quarter-count late, he uses his body control and reflexes to dislodge the ball before the receiver even knows what’s happened."
Day 1 from the NFL Combine
mcshay-report.beehiiv.com
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