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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Florida OT Austin Barber

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, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida OT Austin Barber.

No. 58 AUSTIN BARBER/OT FLORIDA – 6067, 318 POUNDS (REDSHIRT SENIOR)

MEASUREMENTS

Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan

Austin Barber 6067/318 9 5/8 33 1/8 80 1/4

40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone

5.12 1.76 N/A N/A

Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press

9’3″ 32 N/A

THE GOOD

– Build like a prototypical left tackle

– Above-average athlete who shows light feet and good body control from his basketball background

– Functional explosiveness translates to both run blocking and recovery flashes

– Excellent zone run blocker with a quick first step, strong reach ability, and effectiveness on backside cutoffs

– Climbs cleanly to the second level with no wasted movement and tracks linebackers well

– Executes combo blocking with timing

– Shows range and fluidity on pulls that is rare for someone his size

– Flashes finishing mentality and can bury defenders while playing with an edge

– Fires off the ball quickly and gains depth quickly in his pass sets

– Effective in jump sets and play-action, where timing and angles favor him

– Strong hands and clamp strength when latched

– Effective at steering defenders, controlling their pads, and using the snatch/trap to defeat length

– Can neutralize rushers when he wins with first contact

– Has extensive experience playing both tackle spots, but was predominately a LT

THE BAD

– Has below-average length for a guy his size

– Plays too tall consistently and struggles with keeping his pad level low enough

– Below-average knee bend in space

– Major disconnect between his upper and lower body where his feet lag behind his hands, which leads to lunging and balance issues

– His base can get too wide, causing him to lose power and balance

– Slow to reset after initially beaten

– Inconsistent against bull rushes and speed-to-power rushers with high pad level and anchor collapses

– Needs to improve his core strength, knee bend, and re-anchoring ability

– Struggles in true drop-back situations where speed rushers will turn the corner on him

– Has mediocre range against wide-alignment rushers

– Vulnerable to spin moves, inside counters, and push-pull techniques from oversetting

– Overreliance on two-hand punches

– Hands can be wide and imprecise, lack consistent pop, and are predictable

– Strike timing is erratic, leading to boom-or-bust reps

– Late recognizing stunts and twists

– A lot of penalties related to holding and balance issues

– Can widen the B-gap and create interior pressure lanes

STATS

– 38 career starts and 49 games played in 5 years at Florida

– 2,657 total snaps (2,193 LT, 490 RT, 41 as an extra lineman)

– 210 total special teams snaps (all on FG-kick unit)

– Career: 11 total sacks allowed, 10 hits allowed, 41 hurries allowed, and 29 penalties per Pro Football Focus

– 2025: Started all 12 games

– Gave up 3 sacks, 1 hit, 13 hurries, and 7 penalties per PFF

– PFF: 90.7 run-block grade (87.1 zone-block grade on 208 snaps, 82.6 gap-block grade on 104 snaps)

– PFF: 66.7 pass-block grade (57.6 true pass-set blocking grade, 94.2 efficiency rating)

INJURY HISTORY

– 2024: Limited during spring camp following a shoulder injury

– 2023: Started 8 games while battling injuries, playing through pain before a final upper-body injury against LSU. He also missed the Vanderbilt game with a lower-body injury

BACKGROUND

– DOB: 5/20/2003 (22 years old)

– From Jacksonville, Fla., and Trinity Christian Academy

– 2026 Senior Bowl participant

– 2025 3rd Team All-SEC

– Earned his Bachelor’s degree in education sciences (fall 2024)

– Four-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll (2022-25)

– SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2021-22)

– Three-star H.S. recruit, according to 247Sports

– Helped Trinity Christian win the Florida Class 3A State Championship his senior year

– Also played basketball in H.S.

– Has strong family support with them often attending games

– Took on a mentorship role in his final year at Florida with other offensive linemen

– Wants to prove to teams that he can play both offensive tackle spots well

– Studies NFL offensive tackles like Trent Williams, Garett Bolles, and Spencer Brown

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Austin Barber is a toolsy, experienced SEC tackle with clear NFL traits, but his game is currently too volatile for full-time blindside duties. His combination of strong hands, movement ability, and physical run blocking gives him a solid foundation, but pass protection technique, anchor, and consistency will determine his ceiling. If his technique stabilizes, he can become an NFL starting offensive lineman. If it doesn’t, his pass-protection limitations will make him as a depth piece for a team.

As a run blocker, he has great grip strength and latch ability to take guys where he wants them to go. A brawler and finisher in every sense of the way, but his power comes from his strong core and based and less from his upper body. He really plays to the whistle any chance he gets. Barber is also really balanced and controlled out in space for how big he is.

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