The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The NFL Draft is all about long-term projection. It’s not about the immediate impact a prospect can provide. A team is drafting a player for who they’ll become down the road. Not who they are today.
For example, Aidan Hutchinson is going to be a top five pick in the upcoming draft and likely post 10-plus sacks as a rookie. We all know that the Michigan edge rusher is a stud and will provide a Joey Bosa-like impact for the next 10 years.
Then there are players like Amare Barno. The Virginia Tech edge rusher is still wet behind the ears. He may not provide an instant boost to a defense like Hutchinson, but two to three years from now we could be talking about him as a bonafide star.
The raw edge rusher out of Blacksburg checks in at No. 73 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Barno is a JUCO transfer from Butler Community College in Kansas. He arrived at Virginia Tech in 2019. He made the switch from linebacker to defensive end in 2020, a season in which he did not have a normal offseason to prepare due to COVID.
All he did that season was led the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles for loss (16) to go along with 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
“He burst onto the scene after redshirting his first year on campus as a junior college transfer,” Mike Niziolek, the Virginia Tech beat writer for The Roanoke Times, said. “He made an early impression on coaches on the scout team and working on special teams. He barely got any practice time in 2020 leading into the season after the coaches told him he was changing positions because of COVID in the spring and minor injury in fall camp, but still managed to be one of the breakout defenders in the conference. His numbers weren’t as splashy in his second year starting, but he was still an impact defender for the Hokies.”
This past season Barno recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks for the Hokies. It’s a credit to Barno’s work ethic and athleticism that he was able to seamlessly change positions multiple times during his collegiate career.
Barno played safety in high school. At Butler Community College he played linebacker and then he made the switch to defensive end during his second year on campus at Virginia Tech.
“The versatility he’s shown throughout his career is pretty remarkable,” Niziolek said. “He started out in high school at safety and just kept moving closer to the line. He’s picked up every position he’s been at quickly and is by all accounts a very coachable player.”
Barno has the ideal length (6-4) for the position. He’s a disruptive force off the edge with his explosiveness. He’s a bendy edge rusher that gains ground quickly due to his quick get-off.
Due to his inexperience, he may have a deep bag of tricks like other pass rushers in this class. With his length and quickness, teams will be lining up at the door to get their hands on those tools to coach him up. Mike Smith, the Packers outside linebackers coach could work magic with a player like Barno.
“He’s not going to be as refined as some of the talent in the draft, but he’s just in the infant stages of his career on the defensive line and scouts will take that into account,” Niziolek said. “He’s already got a nice set of pass-rushing moves with a wingspan that will give some opposing tackles fits since he’s so quick.”
Barno is a little light in the pants (239). He’s not going to be somebody that steps in day one and sets a strong edge and holds up at the point of attack against NFL lineman.
Barno is a high effort player that makes plays against the run by chasing down plays from the backside.
“He’s not a physical run-stopper at the line, but he won’t be a liability against run-heavy offenses,” Niziolek said. “Opposing running backs struggled to get around the edge against him and he’s the ideal type of defensive lineman to have lined up against mobile quarterbacks.”
Fit with the Packers
With a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the future of both Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith following the 2021 season, the Packers will likely be looking to address the edge rusher position early and often in the 2022 NFL draft.
Even if one of the Smiths is brought back, Barno is a player that the Packers could target and play him as a designated pass rusher as a rookie, while grooming him to be an eventual starter down the road.
“I think there are going to be a few teams that fall in love with his combination of size and athleticism,” Niziolek said. “If he tests well at the combine I can see him jumping up draft boards with executives figuring he could become a dependable playmaker with a few years of coaching at the NFL level. His versatility will allow teams to move him around as well, which is becoming an increasingly important trait for defenders.”
There is no denying that Barno has all the tools in the shed to develop into a difference-maker off the edge in the NFL. It just may take some time before that happens. Then again, during his first season playing the position at Virginia Tech, he led the ACC in tackles for loss.
