Report: Christian Barmore's 'Resistance' to Coaching Concerns Several NFL Teams

Alabama's Christian Barmore is expected to be one of the first defensive linemen to go in the NFL draft next week, but some teams are concerned about his off-field characteristics, according to The Athletic's Bob McGinn.

McGinn wrote Sunday that "several teams expressed concerns about what they say is his resistance to coaching and structure at Alabama." 

The 6'4", 310-pound Philadelphia native ended his two-year Alabama career with 63 tackles (15.5 for loss) and 10 sacks—eight of which came in 2020. 

He was named the defensive MVP of the national championship game, when he helped keep Ohio State to 341 yards by posting five tackles (two for loss) and a sack. 

But one scout observed that Barmore is "not a finished product," while another told McGinn that his star value was a product of the rest of the talent on the Crimson Tide roster: 

"He's benefiting from the guys who played there. He's just a big [guy] who doesn't make plays. At 'Bama, they rotate guys like 80/20 or 70/30. This guy, it's like 50/50, where he's in and out of the game." 

He declared for the draft following that championship game but is the least experienced Alabama player in the draft class, having made just six starts over his two seasons. 

He redshirted during the 2018 season.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department ranked Barmore as the No. 32 overall player available in the draft, grading him as a potential starter in the league. Justis Mosqueda called him the best pass-rusher among those available but ranked Iowa's Daviyon Nixon ahead of him at the position.