Khalil Barnes S Georgia |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Defense against the run is poor, a liability in support
• Did not record an interception despite the coverage snaps
• Surrendered three scores with reps badly beaten downfield deep
• Zone reps are poor against quicker separators downfield
• The tackle finish is shaky, with eight misses on the year

Scouting Report: Summary

Barnes is a rangy safety with good timed speed and a leading man coverage, a defender who played box and deep alignments for Clemson and stoned Duke for ten tackles. He reads route concepts and drives on throws from depth, and the speed-and-range combination gives him a developmental back-end foundation. The man-cover flashes and the closing range are the traits that keep him on the radar at the back of the board.

The production and the complementary skills are the concerns. He did not record an interception despite the coverage snaps, his liability in run support as a force in support, and he surrendered three scores with reps beaten downfield. His slow to read concepts and pass off routes in zone, and his tackling finish is shaky with eight misses. He is a speed-and-man-cover safety whose run support, zone reps, and ball production all need development.

The appeal is the speed and the man-cover flashes, a developmental safety whose run defense and zone coverage have to improve, now headed to a new program on his final eligibility. The poor run and the lack of takeaways keep the grade low. He grades as a priority-free-agent type whose path runs through deep coverage and special teams, with the man-cover flashes the hook for a patient staff.