NY Giants UDFAs: DT Anquin Barnes Jr. could be a hidden gem for New York

Colorado defensive tackle Anquin Barnes Jr. against Georgia Tech. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The New York Giants are hoping to strike gold with their collection of undrafted free agents. While they didn’t bring in many big name UDFAs, the Giants have brought in a number of rookie free agents with intriguing traits and real upside.

Colorado defensive tackle Anquin Barnes Jr. wasn’t on anyone’s radar outside of the NFL, however he might just be one of those hidden gems, and at a position of need.

Barnes Jr. is originally from Montgomery, Alabama, and started his collegiate career as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. As you may expect from a defensive tackle recruited to Alabama, Barnes Jr. was well regarded as a high school player. He was a four-star recruit who was considered the 25th-ranked DT in the nation by ESPN and the 15th-ranked prospect in the state of Alabama.

However, he was buried on Alabama’s chronically deep bench and played in just two games over the course of his three seasons at Alabama. Barnes Jr. made the decision to enter the transfer portal as a red-shirt junior and ultimately chose Colorado.

There he was able to get onto the field, but his impact was limited in the box score. He had just 34 total tackles and 0.5 tackles for a loss in 23 games for the Buffaloes, though he did record an interception.

It isn’t a surprise, then, that Barnes Jr. wasn’t invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. If he had gotten the invite, however, he would have made waves.

While Barnes Jr. was listed at 6-foot-5, 340 pounds at Colorado when he got to Colorado, he cut down to 305 under the tutelage of new pass rush coordinator Warren Sapp. He then showed up to the Pro Day at 298 pounds, with his arms measuring 34 inches and an 81-inch wingspan. He still put up 27 reps on the bench press, as well as logging position-average vertical and broad jumps of 29 inches and 8-foot-10, respectively. The real surprise came when he turned a 5.01-second 40-yard dash, considerably faster than the 5.4-second 40 he was projected to run.