Lander Barton LB Utah |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #8 PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.79 seconds (28%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.7 DOB: 12/30/2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #8 | |
| PLAY STYLE: BOX LB | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.79 seconds (28%*) | |
| Age: 22.7 DOB: 12/30/2003 | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 79.9 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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71% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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54% |
| Pass Rush: |
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65% |
| Run Defense: |
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68% |
| Coverage: |
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61% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#238
Position rank:
#24 (LB)
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| College Games: 45 College Snaps: 2197 | ||
ESPN RATING: 82/100
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247 RATING: 97/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.9 (97%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pete Werner - Ohio State |
|
76% |
| Ty'Ron Hopper - Missouri |
|
75% |
| Robert Beal Jr. - Georgia |
|
74% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The Barton family name is all over Utah's athletic history: father Paul played football and baseball for the Utes, mother Mikki is a two-time All-American basketball player in the school's Hall of Fame, and both brothers Cody and Jackson went on to NFL careers. Lander continued the tradition as a four-star recruit out of Brighton High School, rated the No. 2 prospect in Utah and invited to the All-American Bowl after posting 122 tackles and eight sacks as a senior.He made an immediate impression in 2022, collecting 46 tackles, 8.0 TFL, and 4.5 sacks across 14 games to earn Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. A season-ending injury limited his 2023 campaign to seven starts, though he still recorded 34 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble before going down.
Barton bounced back in 2024 with a team-leading 72 tackles, 5.0 TFL, and two interceptions across 12 starts. His 2025 senior season was less productive, totaling 55 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 13 games while also seeing occasional snaps at tight end. He accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl and finished his career with 46 games and five interceptions, including multiple pick-sixes.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional length for the linebacker position creates disruption in passing lanes.
- Solid pre-snap recognition against the run; reads his keys and trusts them.
- Willing to attack move blocks with heavy, punishing hands at the point of contact.
- Adequate zone coverage range and uses his size to contest throws at the catch point.
- Five career interceptions show a natural feel for finding the football.
- Experience across multiple linebacker alignments adds scheme flexibility.
- Handful of offensive snaps at tight end creates interesting H-back roster versatility.
- Comes from a family with real NFL experience, and the preparation habits show.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Moves in straight lines; change of direction and reactive agility are below average.
- Tackling consistency has been a problem throughout his career, with too many misses.
- Struggles to disengage from second-level blocks once offensive linemen get their hands on him.
- Tends to overflow the junction point on run scrapes, opening cutback lanes.
- Coverage awareness regressed noticeably in 2025, including red zone busts.
- Light for the position, which limits his ability to anchor against the run inside.
- Overall production and grading took a clear step backward as a senior.
Scouting Report: Summary
Barton's early NFL value will be on special teams and in sub-package defense. His length, decent straight-line speed, and experience in multiple alignments give him a foundation to work with, but the tackling issues and stiff movement in space are genuine concerns. The missed tackle numbers have been a theme across his college career, not just a senior-year blip, and that is hard to ignore at a position where sure tackling is the baseline requirement.The most realistic fit is as a weakside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme that asks him to play in space and cover ground rather than stack up against interior runs. His zone coverage ability, while inconsistent, has flashed at times, and his size gives him a natural advantage contesting throws over the middle. A defense that wants to use its linebackers as coverage pieces in nickel and dime packages could find a role for him, provided he is not asked to take on guards at the second level regularly.
The tight end usage at Utah is a minor footnote, but it adds a layer of roster flexibility that special teams coordinators tend to notice. Barton has the physical tools and football background to develop into a depth linebacker who contributes in defined situations. Whether he gets there depends on how quickly he cleans up his tackling technique and improves his ability to shed blocks. The ceiling is a rotational contributor who earns his spot through coverage and pursuit range. The floor is a camp body who does not stick.
Written By:
Lennox Tate
Lander Barton percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Lander Barton (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
236.2
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
32.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.