Derrick Barnes drafted by Detroit Lions: Went from two-star recruit to All-Big Ten player

The Detroit Lions played the waiting game, deciding not to trade up for the likes of Levi Onwuzurike and Ifeatu Melifonwu in the NFL draft.

But they didn't want to display that same restraint for Purdue linebacker Derrick Barnes.

The Lions traded with Cleveland to get up to the No. 113 pick, on spot after Detroit took USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. And with that fourth-round selection, the Lions took Barnes off the board.

Here's a quick look at what the Lions are getting:

When you wish upon a star

Barnes wasn't a heralded recruit out of high school. His 247Sports profile shows he had only two stars in the composite rankings. The Louisville (Kentucky) Holy Cross product was the No. 122 inside linebacker for the class of 2017. He was originally committed to Toledo before Jeff Brohm was hired at Purdue before the 2017 season.

THEY SAID IT: ESPN analysts rave over Lions' Day 3 picks; 'you're going to love' Derrick Barnes

College daze

But Barnes blossomed at Purdue and was named to the All-Big Ten second team by the coaches last season. The 6-foot, 238-pounder was a three-year starter and exhausted all four years of eligibility, leading the Boilermakers with 54 tackles (40 solo) in 2020.

NFL.com grades Barnes out to a fifth-round selection, projecting Barnes to be a backup and special teams player.

Breaking him down

NFL.com provided a scouting report on Barnes, praising his versatility as an edge rusher, an inside linebacker and a core special teamer. However, the website said Barnes didn't have the quickest of feet, was a bit inconsistent diagnosing plays and wasn't the best at open-field tackling.

Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Derrick Barnes drafted by Detroit Lions: 2-star recruit to All-Big Ten