Here's the breakdown on Barron from Russ Lande in his draft guide that he's selling on his site.
ATHLETIC ABILITY / BACKPEDAL / HIPS SECTION GRADE: 7.5
He has excellent overall athletic ability, foot quickness, & transition skills for his position. He is most effective when playing from a cushion in either “Off” m/m or zone coverage. He shows very good overall speed & closing ability for the SS position, but lacks elite recovery ability when out of position or trailing a play. He can get out-of-control on the move in space due to his over-aggressive playing style, but NOT due to a lack of overall athleticism.
M/M COVERAGE - OFF & TIGHT SECTION GRADE: 6.5
He can be found in “Off” m/m coverage over a slot WR or a TE at times within his college defensive scheme. While he competes very hard & really fights for position with his long arms, he often loses the battle in m/m coverage down the field. He is much more effective in the underneath to intermediate ranges. He tends to under-cut the receiver & takes flat angles to the ball in the air when in m/m coverage.
ZONE COVERAGE SECTION GRADE: 8.0
He is a very smart & patient zone coverage player. He is not likely to be fooled by play-action, double-moves, or option passes when playing the back half or third. He works hard to maintain proper spacing between himself & receivers that enter his zone. He does a good job of looking through the receiver to see the QB’s drop, set-up, & beginning of his throwing motion. He has 10 career INT’s & am sure that most of them came in zone.
RUN / PASS RECOGNITION / INSTINCTS / SMARTS SECTION GRADE: 8.0
He is a very smart & aware player against both the run & the pass. He is a very aggressive hitter, who loves to play
near the LOS in run support. He is a strong, consistent tackler, when he plays under control. He can get into trouble on the move in space at times. He is rarely out of position, but does take flat angles in pursuit at times in his play.
CLOSING / DEEP SPEED SECTION GRADE: 7.5
He shows very good overall play speed & closing ability for his position. However, he is deficient in the recovery
speed department against long plays down field. He has the ability to turn & run with TE’s down the seam &
some slot WR’s down field. He is simply less effective a coverage player the further he gets away from the LOS.
BALL SKILLS / HANDS TO INTERCEPT & MAKE PLAY ON BALL SECTION GRADE: 7.5
All of his career INT’s show he has the ability to make a play on the ball in the air. He plays close to the LOS
quite often, which makes his career totals even more impressive. He has terrific wingspan & reach when breaking
on a ball in the air in coverage. He is very physical & competitive with the ball in the air in all coverages.
GAMES EVALUATED
South Carolina, Tennessee & both LSU Games.
RUN SUPPORT / TACKLING / WILLINGNESS TO HIT SECTION GRADE: 8.0
He is a highly productive tackler & run support player near the LOS within his college scheme. He is often used to run blitz off the edge & shows no concern for his body on contact against much bigger blockers. He gets into trouble at times due to being over-aggressive, resulting in some missed tackles on the move in space.
SUMMARY
Barron is a three-year starter at Strong Safety for the Tide in 2011. He has a strong, thick build with very good arm length to consider for the position at the NFL level. He is an excellent overall athlete for the position with very good playing speed & range in coverage. He shows quick feet, good bend, & very good transition skills in his play. He is more productive & effective in closing on balls in front of him as either an off m/m or zone coverage player. He is a bit of a liability against some slot WR’s in m/m coverage well down field due to his lack of recovery speed. He has excellent career production with PBU’s & INT’s for his position. He does a very good job of maintaining proper position over-the-top as a zone defender. He often finds himself playing near the LOS & makes his presence known in run support consistently. He is a very aggressive & violent player, who appears to look for the big-hit opportunities. However, sometimes his aggressiveness will make him out-of-control & miss tackles on the move at full speed in space. He is an intense & productive blitzer off the edge against both the run & the pass. He does a very good job in using his hands to quickly defeat blocks, in addition to battling receivers in their routes. He has added value to consider as a coverage player for special teams due to his play earlier in his career. Overall, he deserves solid 2nd round draft consideration by a team looking for a starter at Strong Safety next April. He may even be able to slide down & play over the slot with safety help over the top in their sub packages right away. He reminds me most of former Cornhusker Toby Wright [2nd round-#49-STL], who came out way back in 1994. For a more recent comparison, he shares many qualities with former Boilermaker Bernard Pollard [2nd round-#54-KC] without the personal character baggage.