The Cleveland Browns started final 12 months with 4 of the 5 offensive linemen who had been ranked #3 in 2023. That was Week 1. To start the ultimate sport, the one participant left was LG Joel Bitonio, as the rest had been backups and follow squad guys.
RELATED: BROWNS PICK OT AUSTIN BARBER AT #86
The Browns jumped out of the gate by choosing Utah offensive sort out Spencer Fano to man the left sort out spot in Spherical 1 with the #9 general decide. Berry then took Florida OT Austin Barber within the third spherical and C Parker Brailsford of Alabama within the fifth spherical.
When the Browns had been on the clock with the #9 decide, Cleveland GM Andrew Berry had his alternative of offensive tackles as a result of none had been taken but. His alternative was Spencer Fano of Utah.
Barber was a part of an excellent offensive line at Florida that featured Jake Slaughter at middle, who was taken with the 63rd decide.
Seven offensive tackles had been taken within the first spherical, and two guards. Two facilities and one guard had been chosen in Spherical 2, and just one sort out was chosen earlier than Barber heard his title known as. Meaning he isn’t just a backup or a possible follow squad man.
Who’s Barber? Didn’t the Browns already draft an offensive sort out? And this one value them. Cleveland had traded away their solely third-round decide at spot #70 and was getting ready for Spherical 4. Then they traded again up into Spherical 3 with the Los Angeles Chargers for decide #86 and nabbed Barber.
The commerce went down like this: The Chargers traded that decide to Cleveland in alternate for a fourth (#105), fifth (#145), and sixth-round (#206) choices on this 12 months’s draft.
Barber grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, the place he was a basketball standout at Trinity Christian Academy. He additionally performed offensive line in soccer. As a senior, his staff gained the State basketball championship. Barber grew up with two older stepbrothers and an older half-brother. Not too long ago, he grew to become engaged.
Austin Barber of Trinity Christian Academy (Damon Simpson – Florida Occasions-Union)
As a senior, his college gained the Class 3A State Championship. Barber was named to the Florida Occasions-Union Tremendous 11 Workforce and voted to the 2020 FloridaHSFootball.com Class 3A All-State Soccer Workforce.
He had a ton of presents from Miami, Ole Miss, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Tulane, North Carolina, Minnesota, Bowling Inexperienced, Kent State, Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Utah, Pittsburgh, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Louisville, Virginia Tech, UCF, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, FIU, South Florida, Illinois, UConn, Jap Kentucky, Marshall, Auburn, and Mississippi State.
Listed at 6’-7”, 300 kilos at this stage, Barber lined up at left sort out. He dedicated to Minnesota, however de-committed in November. He then introduced he was going to Florida.
4-star prospect by rivals.comFirst Workforce Class 3A All-State Soccer TeamFlorida Occasions-Union Tremendous 11 Workforce
Barber redshirted after which performed in all 13 video games in his freshman season with 5 begins. He did play two video games at proper sort out. He was a member of the offensive line that blocked for 594 yards and 5 touchdowns at Tennessee. He then made the All-Freshman Workforce.
225-pound bench press: 22 reps
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Third Workforce All-SEC2025 Phil Steele Fourth Workforce SEC All-Convention Freshman All-American TeamFour-time SEC Fall Educational Honor RollSEC First-year Educational Honor Roll2025 Outland Trophy WatchlistSenior Bowl invitee
What ought to Browns followers anticipate from Barber?
Don’t for one second suppose Barber gained’t not less than attempt to compete for the beginning left sort out place. This 12 months. Barber began 33 video games at left sort out and two video games at proper sort out for Florida and was a two-and-a-half-year starter. In his junior 12 months, his cross blocking grade was 70.9. His last 12 months was 82.2. Completed with the highest Professional Soccer Focus run block grade for the Gators at 90.3. He’ll compete for a beginning place in his first camp, but when nothing else, he’ll present nice depth at each sort out positions. He supplies a top quality blocker who has each alternative to win the beginning left sort out job, though the Browns additionally drafted Fano for this place.
Barber is fast off the snap and persistently beats defenders to the spot. This child is a category act, soft-spoken, filled with excessive character, and the kind of participant successful groups have on their roster. He’s very sturdy and performed in 47 video games in a tricky convention whereas at Florida.
When he will get clear palms on his defender’s chest plate, Barber latches on and won’t relent. Regardless of being an enormous man, he is ready to get to the second stage and discover linebackers and seal off. He makes use of leap units on play-action to crowd the runner’s path. He is ready to seal off the surface observe. Balanced slides. Good foot quickness. He’s recognized for his elite run-blocking capability.
His palms have a foul behavior of touchdown too excessive at instances. This provides the defender a transparent lane to work beneath his punch. He doesn’t bend his knees sufficient on the contact level. This makes his pad stage rise, after which he loses leverage. Will give option to bull rushes. Additionally has a problem with spin strikes. Barber has to wash up his punch timing and lower-body method.
