Lions signed fourth-round LB Derrick Barnes to a four-year contract.
Barnes (6’0/238) was a nondescript two-star prospect who originally committed to Toledo before new Purdue HC Jeff Brohm offered him an opportunity to play Big Ten football. He earned a starting job as a sophomore and went on to have an extremely productive collegiate career, posting 225 tackles and 25.0 TFL while leading the team in sacks with 7.5 as an edge player in 2019. His sawed-off but muscular frame precipitated a move to off-ball linebacker in 2020, where he led the team in tackles with 54 and was named as a second team All-Big Ten performer. Considering how Barnes excelled in whatever role he was cast, it’s no surprise that his athleticism was confirmed in his pro day workout, running a 4.57 second 40-yard dash and a 37” vertical jump to go with a stellar 9.34 Relative Athletic Score. Though the versatile linebacker is on the short side, he makes up for it with impressive speed and acceleration to close on opposing ball carriers. If things break right, he could carve out an early down off-ball linebacker role a la former Lions LB Jarrad Davis.