From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Utah linebacker Lander Barton.
NO. 8 LANDER BARTON/LB/UTAH – 6050, 233 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Lander Barton 6050/233 9 1/2 32 1/4 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
DNP DNP DNP DNP
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
DNP DNP DNP
THE GOOD
-Great size for the position
-NFL bloodlines; knows what it takes to make it to the next level and stick
-Shows good awareness in man coverage; flashed ability to carry receivers up the seam in man and take away passing windows with size
-Smart off-ball linebacker that diagnoses quickly and allows his mind/eyes to put him in position to make plays
-Intriguing athlete with some versatility to his game; saw more than 100 snaps at tight end in 2025
-Covers a lot of ground in a hurry once he clicks and closes; acceleration jumps off the screen
-Packs a punch as a tackler
-An effective blitzer who can generate pressure up the middle and flush quarterbacks
THE BAD
-Slow to stack and shed blocks in the run game
-Doesn’t take on blocks properly, losing gap assignments too often
-Can be overpowered consistently as a run defender if he isn’t kept clean
-Sloppy fundamentals as a tackler in space; too many misses on tape
-Too easily manipulated by the quarterback’s eyes in zone coverage; can get caught flat-footed in zone coverage
-Pad level is high in the box too often; must learn to lower pad level and play through his base
STATS
-2025 stats: 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception in 13 games; six receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown offensively
-Played 603 snaps defensively for the Utes last season; another 120 on offense
-Finished four-year career playing in 46 games and recorded 207 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, five interceptions, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two pick-6s
-Saw action in 2,130 career snaps at Utah
INJURY HISTORY
-Suffered a season-ending lower leg injury in October 2023, an injury that lingered into the 2024 season
BACKGROUND
-Born December 30, 2003
-Younger brother of NFL players Cody and Jackson Barton
-Comes from an athletic family. Father, Paul, played football and baseball at Utah; Mom, Mikki, is in the Utah Hall of Fame for basketball; sister, Dani, was a four-time volleyball all-American at Utah
-Former 4-star recruit coming out of high school, and the No. 2 player in Utah before choosing the Utes
-Named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2022
-Honorable Mention All-Big 12 in 2025
-Competed in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
-Invited to 2026 Scouting Combine
TAPE BREAKDOWN
The more you can do entering the NFL, the better. For Utah linebacker Lander Barton, the younger brother of two NFL players, linebacker Cody and offensive lineman Jackson, he brings unique versatility to the table.
A linebacker by trade, Barton played tight end snaps in 2025 for the Utes, giving himself a leg up in the 2026 NFL Draft class. No, he’s not the next two-way guy like Travis Hunter. But he brings intriguing athleticism to the mix as a 6-foot-5, 233-pound linebacker.
He played 120 snaps at tight end last season for Utah, hauling in six passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t asked to do much as a route runner, but he showed good athleticism in space and flashed solid hands downfield. His talent was evident on this touchdown in the season opener against UCLA.
Nice adjustment and good hands. It all looks natural to him. He moves very well in space, and his ball skills are a major plus.
I loved this rep late in the game against Kansas State. He’s in zone coverage, and he gains depth and reads the quarterback’s eyes, taking him to the passing lane.
Once there, he makes the pick and seals the win for Utah. He can be overaggressive in zone coverage and let the quarterback’s eyes take him out of the play. But when he’s disciplined and locked in, you get those types of plays like the one above against Kansas State.
Barton’s closing speed is impressive. He can click and close in a hurry, and it shows up in space consistently.
Against West Virginia, Barton covers plenty of ground. He reads the play and realizes there is no threat behind him to cover. The offensive line parts, creating a lane to the quarterback.
Once he sees that, Barton triggers downhill, chews up yardage, and then finishes with force for the sack.
Barton’s ability to diagnose quickly and sift through the trash in front of him is impressive.
You can see him quickly diagnose the play as he sees the left tackle down blocking. Watch how he reads that and triggers downhill.
He finds the hole, allowing him to sift through it and find the ball carrier for the stop at the line of scrimmage. It’s not perfect, but it’s effective.
One issue I have with Barton’s game is his ability to finish consistently.
He does a great job of flying downhill here, diagnosing quickly and putting himself in position to make a splash play. He simply doesn’t finish, though. There are a lot of examples on tape of him sliding off tackles like this.
He has great length and size at the position, but he must finish better at the next level if he wants to stick around.
CONCLUSION
I really like Barton’s size and length at the linebacker position. He’s comfortable in man coverage, especially handling receivers and tight ends up the seam. The ball skills are very impressive at the position, too. He has two pick-6s in his career, and that’s not a fluke.
While I don’t expect him to play tight end in the NFL, the fact that he brings that versatility and athleticism is impressive. He reminds me of current Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Anderson. He was a quarterback and receiver at Montana State before shifting to linebacker, paving his path into the NFL.
Barton knows what it takes to get to the NFL thanks to his brothers, but it’s about staying there. He can be a solid special teams piece right away, and can handle some sub-package snaps in coverage as he continues to grow and develop as a run defender.
NFL Projection: Mid Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.6 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.4-7.2
Games Watched: UCLA (2025), Texas Tech (2025), West Virginia (2025), Arizona State (2025), BYU (2025), Cincinnati (2025), Kansas State (2025)
Recommended for you