When the Detroit Lions traded up in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft to land Purdue LB Derrick Barnes, it was a well-received move. Barnes showed a lot of promise as a versatile backer for a team that had major issues at the position.
Barnes played extensively as a rookie, though he wasn’t nearly as effective as hoped. He struggled in coverage and missed too many tackle opportunities, something that Lions LB coach Kelvin Sheppard is working on cleaning up. Sheppard has not lost any confidence in Barnes. Far from it, in fact.
During Senior Bowl week, I asked Sheppard about Derrick Barnes and the up-and-down rookie season from the young LB. Monday’s OTA media session provided a nice follow-up.
