Browse the rest of the Zone Coverage Draft Guide.

TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

From an electrifying change of pace back as a freshman to a sturdy workhorse as a junior, Alex Barnes had a strong career at Kansas State that culminated in a Big 12 rushing title in 2018 with 1,355 yards on the ground and over 1,500 all-purpose. Barnes finished his Wildcats career with 25 touchdowns and first-team All-Conference honors his final year.

Barnes ran roughshod over the combine with positional victories in the bench press and shuttle while placing top-five virtually everywhere else but the 40. Analytically Barnes wasn’t as elusive as his peers, didn’t block as well and lacked soft hands in the passing game. But his athletic gifts will get him a fair look.

Size

6-0, 226 pounds

Combine notables

40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds
Bench: 34 reps (1^st at position)
Vertical: 38.5 inches (3^rd at position)
Broad jump: 126 inches (5^th at position)
3-cone drill: 6.95 seconds (2^nd at position)
20-yard shuttle: 4.1 seconds (1^st at position)

What the analysts say

“Barnes is a productive early draft entrant with good play strength but average ability to elude and create. He appears to lack downhill burst and explosive speed to the corner and is more of a “get what’s blocked” back than a dynamic presence with the ball in his hands. His outstanding combine and ability to handle third-down duties should add some value to his draft profile, but his ceiling could be limited.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

“Alex Barnes will be a notable rotational piece of an NFL backfield. While Barnes may not be an every down feature runner, he does offer some needed skills and will be given the chance to further develop and hone his craft. I like Barnes better in a gap/power system, where he can get vertical quickly and know where he is supposed to press his gaps as a means of minimizing any issues present with his vision or ability to process action in the backfield. Valued pass protection skills.” – Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network

What PFF says

-7^th-last in missed tackles forced per attempt
-65^th in elusive rating
-52^nd in pass-blocking efficiency

—

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE

TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

Sam Ekstrom

Sam Ekstrom is an executive producer and host at Locked On Sports Minnesota. He's previously covered the Vikings for 105 The Ticket, Zone Coverage, Purple Insider, and the Associated Press. He grew up in Vermillion, S.D. rooting for the USD Coyotes (not SDSU) and graduated from Dordt (not "dork") University in Sioux Center, Iowa.

All Articles