Alabama senior strong safety Mark Barron enters the 2012 NFL Draft as the highest ranked prospect at either safety position for most owners.

Barron racked up 169 stops and started 26 games for the Crimson Tide in his career. 

Hard-hitting ball hawk

Strengths

• Elite read-and-react skills
• Generally plays with controlled aggression
• Pedigree of a Nick Saban defense in the SEC
• Ball-hawking abilities (12 INTs in last three years)
• Instinctual, especially in zone coverage
• Sound tackler, hard hitter
• In-the-box safety - strong in run support
• Heady player that understands multiple roles on defense
• Extremely dedicated - hard worker and relentless in his pursuit of greatness
• Fantastic size (6-foot-1, 213 pounds)

Weaknesses

• Injury concerns - torn pectoral muscle in 2010, double hernia surgery in 2012
• Can become undisciplined as a tackler - looks for the big hit too often; needs to wrap up more consistently
• Arrested in 2011 on misdemeanor charge of hindering prosecution after police felt he wasn't being forthright regarding a one-car traffic accident
• Lacks fluidity in his hips when in his backpedal - much better in zone coverage than man-to-man defense

Expected draft placement

Barron has first-round talent, but it may be difficult finding a team willing to pay for his services, especially if he cannot participate in drills before the draft.

The Detroit Lions (No. 23), New York Jets (No. 16) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 14) all need a starting-caliber player at the position, but it seems unlikely the latter two teams will reach for Barron in the first round. Perhaps one of these three franchises will trade into the top of the second round for him.