2025 NFL Draft interview: William & Mary DB Marcus Barnes

WCG’s lead draft analyst speaks with William & Mary’s toolsy defensive back.

William & Mary has a likely early draft pick for the 2025 NFL Draft in offensive lineman Charles Grant, but defensive back Marcus Barnes is another name you certainly need to know.

An All-CAA defender with elite production, impressive athleticism and an NFL bloodline, Barnes checks a lot of the boxes that NFL teams like out of their safety prospects.

Windy City Gridiron spoke with Barnes about the advantages of his length and speed, growing up with an NFL father, his experiences in college, and more.

JI: With you being a bigger, longer safety, can you speak a little bit to the advantages that gives you playing that position?

MB: One thing that actually sticks out a lot is, if you watch the film, you can see me playing a lot of man coverage and sticky man. It doesn’t just pertain to the safety position. I can play that nickel, or I could basically play any five [positions] in the DB room. It makes it hard for people to get around me. My arms are long, I’m a physical guy, which is also to my advantage; it’s pretty hard to get the ball over somebody with an 80-inch wingspan. It plays into my advantage. I can see everything in front of me. I can see over [receivers], and I’m just rangy. I’m long. I’m always sideline-to-sideline on the ball, and I could react all over the field.

JI: Some taller defensive backs can struggle with sinking their hips and staying low in and out of their breaks. How have you neutralized that?

MB: At my Pro Day, I ran a 4.14 in my shuttle. That’s pretty damn good for not only a DB in general, but just a tall guy. My coaches were big on staying low, keeping our hips leveled, and being able to play and feel your body in a comfortable position. I feel more comfortable when I’m lower and I can get down to the size of the receiver, whoever I’m guarding, instead of towering over them and playing high, not being able to get in and out my breaks. I feel comfortable with my knees bent. I feel like that’s where I get all my power and my explosion on my breaks. [Being taller] doesn’t affect me too bad. It more plays to my advantage, I would say.

JI: Looking back on your time at William & Mary, what would you say your best collegiate experience was?

MB: Turning the program around. Basically, you look back on the history, any team that I’ve been on — not really taking it as a brag, but humbly — we’ve turned the program around. It’s always been a winning season, but 2022, we took it to the FCS semifinals, playing Montana State. We were on a roll, and it was like we changed the culture around. We changed it to a winning program. Coach...