Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr stepped into Mike Zimmer's defense from Day One in the NFL last season and contributed like a seasoned veteran - something which should turn even more heads than it already has considering the former running back only moved to the defensive side of the ball a few short seasons ago.
Despite his limited overall experience though, Barr slotted in immediately at strong-side linebacker for the Vikings and wound up amassing 70 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and three passes defensed in 12 games of work. That kind of high-level impact across the stat sheet is rare in today's NFL and could point to a bright future for Barr in Minnesota.
"At some point in time, I expect him to be one of the better linebackers in this league," Zimmer said last year, via Brian Hall of Fox Sports North. "I don't know when that will be, but I expect it to be sometime."
If things go as planned, the 2015 NFL season could be "sometime."
"The Vikings defensive line is loaded and should allow Barr to make plays, but strong-side linebacker in a 4-3 defense isn't always a glamour position," writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. "Barr isn't going to necessarily rack up the stats that get noticed. Like [New England Patriots linebacker Jamie] Collins, he will make his money by doing a little bit of everything and showing up with big plays."
The Vikings expected Barr to showcase his versatility last season, despite Zimmer referring to him as a "fawn" shortly after the team drafted him ninth-overall, and he did just that, moving around the formation and displaying an ability to provide impact wherever he lined up.
While a knee injury sidelined Barr in December and brought his rookie season to an unexpected close, if he can recapture the form he showed in NFL Year One and, further, build on it in Year Two, the Vikings may have found themselves an elite NFL linebacker, capable of running with receivers and backs in coverage and handling the physical rigors of offensive linemen and tight ends as a pass-rusher and run-stopper.
With 2015 NFL Draft pick Eric Kendricks - a fellow UCLA alum - set to slot in alongside Barr in the middle and Chad Greenway likely to man the weak-side, the Vikings defense could feature one of the best linebacking crews in the league as soon as next season.
