ANTHONY BARR – OLB
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 255lbs
40 yard dash: 4.66
2017 STATS: 75 tackles, 1 sack, 6 passes defended
2018 STATS: 55 tackles, 3 sacks. 2 passes defended
At first glance, Anthony Barr’s stats are not very impressive. He has never had more than four sacks in his career up to this point. This could actually work in the Steelers favor when it comes time to compete with other teams for his services. The way he was used in Minnesota did not take advantage of his true skill set. A change in position to a more of a pass rushing role could unlock his true potential. While at UCLA, the Vikings linebacker had 13 and 10 sacks respectively in his last two seasons there. This is evidence that Barr has the potential to become an elite pass rusher, particularly in a 3-4 scheme.
Anthony Barr could be a sneaky-good signing with lots of upside for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even with the lack of gaudy stats, it’s likely Barr will be close to the ten million per season range on the open market. That could look like quite a bargain if he he starts to become the top edge rusher some believe he can be. Barr has the size to set the edge against the run, and the athletic ability to cover. Both of those are traits the Steelers look for in their outside linebackers. It remains to be seen how invested the Pittsburgh is in Bud Dupree. If they choose to walk away from the nine million guaranteed that is owed to Dupree, Barr would have to be on their radar.