Mark Barron: 5 Biggest Pros and Cons of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

With all of the Alabama players expected to have their names called tonight in New York, maybe the one name that gets lost in the shuffle is safety Mark Barron, the top-rated player at his position in this year's draft pool.

The 6'1", 213-pound player was an All-American, All-SEC and all-world player for the Crimson Tide defense that helped win two national titles in three seasons under Nick Saban.

Barron should hear his name called in the top half of the first round tonight, possibly with Dallas or Cincinnati being one of his suitors.

Not only is Barron a great defender, he is also a strong special teams player, making him more "draftable" to teams looking for multi-dimensional players.

According to sidelinescouting.com, which is where information in this slider is being obtained, he is the 22nd player on the site's draft board.

Here is what the website had to say about the positive and negative things about Barron's game.

Good, Physical Player

Barron has very good size but has adequate speed. According to scouting reports in sidelinescouting.com, "he is very physical and is an especially good run-stopper with good pop when tackling."

What Barron does a good job reading a quarterback's eyes before the play. And, like the reports states, "he's especially effective underneath when he can mirror receivers and keeps plays in front of him."

Smart Player

It's a cliche' but it works for him.

"Barron is a smart player, understands multiple roles, generally keeps to his assignments and knows where to be on almost every play."

Not bad for a guy who played on a team loaded with talent.

"He shows good hand pop when in press coverage on slot receivers and jams well at the line, although he probably won't be playing on the line much in the NFL."

A Dependable Player

He is durable and plays within a system. How many players can you say that about their talents?

He should be a player on special teams and return kicks or be part of kickoff coverages.

Rookies who make an impact in the NFL do those things.

Barron is tough and his physical play will make him a valuable commodity for some team that drafts him.

Needs to Work on His Coverage Skills

While he may be the best at his position on the draft board, there are still things he must improve on.

"His coverage skills are average at best," says sidelinescouting.com. "He does not have elite range in zone coverage. He's also not fluid enough to run with a lot of slot receivers in the NFL."

He also must improve on change-of-direction ability, and sometimes he may hit players high or play the ball incorrectly.

All of this is something that can be taught and improved on.

Overplays at Times

"He can be too aggressive at times and tends to take bad angles when flying around the field. He will miss tackles in the open field."

Sidelinescouting.com also said he, "lacks elite explosiveness; his lack of quickness may be the biggest factor."

Because of this there is not as much fluidity in his game that some coaches may like. Again, all of this is very correctable.