Lander Barton NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Utah LB

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 236

POSITIVES

— Good size and athletic ability for a modern NFL linebacker.

— Has the speed, change of direction and loose hips to cover tight ends in man coverage.

— Lateral movement skills also allow him to tighten throwing windows when playing zone coverage.

— Uses hands well in coverage to either force re-routes or help stay in phase.

— Against the run, he uses his hands to take on blocks and is physical at the point of attack.

— Has the agility to execute gap exchanges/stunts post-snap effectively.

— Patient with the athleticism to avoid getting caught in the trash as a run defender.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks strength to shed blocks from offensive linemen and will struggle to hold his ground against more physical linemen.

— Has a habit of taking on blocks square instead of getting on an edge which can cause him to lose gap control and contributes to his issues escaping.

— Will occasionally over-pursue on the backside of runs, creating cutback lanes.

— Eye discipline in zone coverage is sub-par; he'll get caught staring into the backfield too long and gets easily manipulated off his spot by quarterbacks.

NOTES

— Born Dec. 30, 2003

— 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2023 (Leg, season-ending, missed 6 games)

— 2022 Second-Team Freshman All-American, Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year

— Father (Paul) was a two-sport (football and baseball) athlete at Utah and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays, mother (Mikki) played basketball at Utah and is in the school's Hall of Fame, sister (Dani) was an All-American volleyball player at Utah, brothers (Cody and Jackson) played football at Utah and are currently in the NFL

OVERALL

Lander Barton comes from an athletic family, and it shows in his play. Movement skills are the foundation of his game, as he has plenty of athleticism and loose hips to be effective in man coverage and tighten throwing windows when playing zone. His ability to move laterally also helps him avoid the trash against the run and execute gap exchanges.

Against the run, Barton is physical and has some pop behind his pads when coming downhill. However, that may not translate well to the next level as he struggles to hold his ground and get off blocks against more physical offensive linemen. For example, Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga got the best of the Ute when those two went head-to-head in 2023.

The Utah product needs to develop a move to help disengage from blocks and/or learn how to use his quickness and athleticism to slip blocks from offensive linemen claiming to the second level. That will help him be more effective against the run early in his career while his strength improves.

Overall, Barton has good size, athleticism and technique to be an effective every-down linebacker in the NFL, but he does need to find a way to defeat blocks. Schematically, he has the versatility to line up as a MIKE or SAM backer.

GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup / Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 101

POSITION RANK: LB7

PRO COMPARISON: Drue Tranquill

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.