Trusted Tar Heel veteran with versatility, but the tape says the ceiling is more steadiness than splash
William Barnes entered North Carolina as a highly regarded recruit and built value through versatility, logging 49 games and 22 starts across both guard and tackle spots; that kind of plug-and-play experience is gold for a team that wants a mature, assignment-sound lineman. In the 2023 season, he started 13 games, but his grading profile was uneven, and a 2024 evaluation noted struggles in both run and pass protection while still highlighting his positional flexibility. If you want a seasoned depth piece who knows how to survive the grind and help stabilize the room, Barnes makes sense; if you need a dominant blindside mauler, that’s not his lane.
