Grading Philadelphia Eagles first-round selections during Roseman’s era

2017: DE Derek Barnett, Philadelphia Eagles

Until he proves Eagles fans otherwise, Derek Barnett will always be seen as a so-so pass rusher. And while it’s important to have pass-rushing depth, teams generally look for cornerstones in the middle of the first round, not rotational players like Barnett.

Through four years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Barnett has racked up 19.5 sacks and 101 tackles. Again, that’s good, but not great. His most memorable moment as a member of the Birds came when he recovered Brandon Graham’s strip-sack in the Super Bowl, but he has yet to record any other notable plays of his own.

The Derek Barnett situation becomes perplexing when considering the presence of Josh Sweat. Sweat put up better numbers than Barnett in much less playing time. Barnett is currently set to make $10.8 million once the new league year begins on Wednesday, but it’s tough to imagine the Eagles paying him that type of guaranteed money.

Might a trade or a restructuring be on the horizon? It’s tough to say, but it’s not tough to evaluate Barnett as a draft pick. He’s been an average edge rusher for the Birds and Howie Roseman shouldn’t look for average players in the first round of drafts. Grade: C