The NFL draft will not be until the spring, but Web sites that cater to draftniks are starting to bubble.
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Kevan Barlow runs for one of his four touchdowns in Pitt's 38-28 victory against West Virginia in the regular-season finale. (John Beale, Post-Gazette) | |
A name that keeps popping up as a possible first-round selection is that of University of Pittsburgh running back Kevan Barlow. The emphasis is on the word "possible."
Barlow's stock has risen since the start of the college football season. He opened some eyes by rushing for 99 yards in Pitt's victory against Penn State. He drew more attention with a 209-yard, 25-carry performance against Boston College.
Then came West Virginia and Barlow's 272 yards on 33 rushes. That made more than a couple NFL scouts sit up and take notice.
At 6 feet 1 and 235 pounds, Barlow has the size pro coaches want. He also has speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds. Add that Barlow can catch the football and plays in Coach Walt Harris' complicated West Coast offense, and it's easy to understand why some have him highly rated.
"He's a talented guy, but there are some questions," said Tom Modrak, the Philadelphia Eagles' director of football operations. "I don't know if he's a first-round pick, but I would think he should go in the first day."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN draft guru, ranked Barlow 16th among his top 25 senior prospects and is listed as the third running back behind Deuce McAllister of Mississippi and LaDainian Tomlinson of Texas Christian.
The NFL Draft Digest isn't as high on Barlow. On its Web site, it has him listed as the eighth-best running back in the 2001 draft. The Sporting News has Barlow 74th on its list of the Top 100 Seniors for 2001.
Barlow, a Peabody High School graduate, admits he has not paid much attention to his draft status. He was more concerned with helping Pitt reach a bowl game, and has channeled his efforts into helping Pitt defeat Iowa State Dec. 28 at the Insight.com Bowl in Phoenix. But he is intrigued by how he is perceived by draftniks and NFL scouts.
"I'm rated that high?" he asked. "Hearing that is the kind of thing that makes you want to play harder. Not that I need a lot of incentive, but that does get you going."
The next few weeks are important for Barlow. He can elevate himself in the draft with a big game in the Insight.com Bowl and a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., in January. The Senior Bowl practice is the big thing because the sidelines are filled with NFL coaches and scouts.
"His stock has been on the rise, but those are the two keys for him," said Tom Donahoe, the former Steelers' director of football operations who is doing work for ESPN. Donahoe has seen Barlow play and stays in touch with officials of six or seven NFL teams.
"My assessment of him right now is that he's about the middle of the second round," Donahoe said. "He's a lot like Curtis Martin. Everybody missed on him, and all he did was turn out to be was one of the most durable and toughest backs in the league."
What concerns pro scouts is Barlow's lack of consistency and the problem he had hanging onto the football early in the season. He also has not displayed much of a desire to block.
While Barlow had big games rushing against Penn State, Boston College and West Virginia, he also had poor outings against Miami and Virginia Tech.
"The bigger the game the better I play," Barlow said. "I know there are things I have to work on, but Kenny Carter, my running backs coach, has helped me a lot with things this season. He and Coach Harris stayed with me when I fumbled a couple of times, and I've learned a lot from both of them."
Modrak said Barlow shows good "pickability" when he runs the ball. That means he's able to find room to maneuver between the tackles. Kiper writes on his Web site, "The more you watch Barlow in game action during the season, the easier it becomes to elevate him on the draft board."
Barlow could also hurt his draft status with poor performances in his next two games, but he has shown enough that he's sure to be drafted.
"He's a big, strong running back with speed," Modrak said. "You look around, and there just aren't a lot of guys like that out there."
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