Derek Barnett said on a conference call Tuesday evening that he wasn’t sure who his agent would be as he prepares for the upcoming NFL Draft.
It didn’t take him long to figure it out. Barnett, a likely first-round pick in the upcoming draft, has signed with power agent Drew Rosenhaus, according to a tweet put out by the 27-year veteran of the sports agency world.
Thrilled to welcome @dbarnett25 to the Rosenhaus Sports Family! pic.twitter.com/nEsZKSU9Zc
— Drew Rosenhaus (@DrewJRosenhaus) January 6, 2017
Rosenhaus might be the most well-known figure in the industry. The movie Jerry Maguire was reportedly loosely based on the persona of the 50-year old agent who counts Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy and Antonio Brown among the over 170 clients that his agency has served.
Barnett, who leaves Tennessee as the school’s all-time leader in sacks with 33, said he was told by NFL feedback that he’ll be picked somewhere in the first round or possibly the second. Most mock drafts have Barnett somewhere in the top 20 picks at this point.
“I’ll be just selling that I’m a football player,” Barnett said when asked what his pitch to NFL teams will be. “I can play a lot of different positions, I can play inside-outside, I can cover, I’m a guy that’s going to work hard and not say a whole lot, and just do whatever I have to do to help the team win.”
Now he’ll have the most powerful agent in the sport to help him monetize that ability.
