Rising prospect Barwin should be on Dolphins’ draft board

By Adam Sweeney  |   Thursday, March 19, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Miami Dolphins
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There are football players who were born to handle one position and then there are athletes. Former Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Connor Barwin falls into the latter category; as a result, he has NFL scouts falling over themselves to get a look at him. The Miami Dolphins took a look at Barwin on March 16 to see what the fuss was about.

Barwin admits that he is a work in progress, but that shouldn't have teams running away from him. Barwin, who also played tight end in college, has been compared to Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel -- who helped the New England Patriots accrue three Super Bowl rings this decade. Guys like that would fit perfectly into the Dolphins' current philosophy.

Barwin racked up 53 tackles (16 for a loss), 11 sacks and three blocked kicks in 2008, and was last month just as impressive at the combine -- where he registered elite times in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill, not to mention fantastic vertical and broad jumps.

Now, you don't take Barwin with a first-rounder; however, in the case of the Dolphins -- who have two second-round picks -- he'd make a great fit. Barwin can be used at both linebacker and defensive end, which is great for Miami's 3-4 scheme, and in case the Dolphins lose one of the seemingly 47 tight ends they have, he'd be able to step in.

Barwin is a raw, high-potential player, and we know that the Dolphins' Bill Parcells loves project players. Thus, don't be surprised if you see Barwin's name being announced when the Dolphins pick in the second round.
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About Adam Sweeney

Adam Sweeney spent 4 years as an opinions and arts & entertainment columnist with the Lone Star Lutheran, also working with Sports Illustrated.com. Along with his work on Realfootball 365 he currently is a contributor for Film School Rejects, SLAM Online, Talkhoops.net, and C-Heads ...
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