Nov 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin (98) reacts to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers first down during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Buccaneers won 45-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
11. Connor Barwin – Defensive End/Outside linebacker, Cincinnati; 2009 2nd round 46th overall selection
Sure, Connor Barwin now plays outside linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, which is tough to watch. Yeah, he was part of the letterman jacket mistake before a 2012 game against the New Englad Patriots.
Despite those two things, Barwin finds himself on the list because he did record one season of 11.5 sacks for Houston during the 2011 season. Also, despite being somewhat inconsistent during his Texans’ tenure, Barwin has proved since going to Philly that he still is a good player as he has recorded 23 sacks in his three seasons there.
While he may not have ever lived up to the pass rushing expectation, he has recorded more than 200 career tackles while being able to disrupt game plans for opposing teams.
His athleticism has a lot to do with his disruption, and there is no questioning he is an athlete. While playing defensive end at Cincinnati in college, he also lined up as a tight end from time-to-time. He recorded 53 receptions and 692 yards and six touchdowns.
Overall, Barwin was a solid pick for the Texans in the second round of the 2009 draft.
Next: Another SEC player in the starting lineup