The Bucs took a huge step toward solidifying the interior of their offensive line for the long term on Thursday night, selecting Duke’s Graham Barton with the No. 26 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Barton has continued to see his stock rise. What’s especially impressive about that is his stock has escalated more and more despite the fact that he had to back out of the Senior Bowl due to injury and was unable to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The fact that his reputation grew without participation in those important pre-draft events speaks to the excellence of what Barton put on tape at Duke. It also doesn’t hurt that he had a strong showing at the Blue Devils’ Pro Day, where he ran a 4.97-second 40-yard dash (which would’ve ranked top five among offensive linemen at the Combine) and a 7.31-second three-cone drill (which would’ve tied him for third at the Combine).
Barton’s athleticism is clear, and it’s backed up by his 9.99 RAS Score — the third-best score out of 1,532 guards between 1987 and 2024.
Bucs Have Options With Graham Barton
Graham Barton, a 6-foot-5, 313-pounder, is extremely versatile. He played the majority of his collegiate games at left tackle, though back in 2020, he also made five starts at center. Some were projecting him as a guard during the pre-draft process, so the fact that he can play all five positions on the offensive line will have been a huge part of what drew Bucs general manager Jason Licht toward him, as Licht loves his linemen to have some versatility to their game.
With that said, when Tampa Bay announced its pick, Barton was listed as a center. So, it appears as if the plan is to kick him inside to take over for Robert Hainsey.
The Blue Devils star is capable in both pass protection and in the run game, and has drawn some comparisons to former Bucs Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet for his athleticism, toughness, football I.Q. and physicality. There’s no doubt that Tampa Bay would love to have another Marpet, who quickly established himself as one of the best offensive linemen in franchise history before retiring early.
While he appears to be the Bucs’ replacement for Hainsey (and Ryan Jensen before him), Barton’s versatility gives Tampa Bay some options when it comes to the composition of their offensive line. Here’s an idea of how things stand as of now:
Option 1: Barton at center
LT: Tristan Wirfs
LG: Sua Opeta/Ben Bredeson/potential draft pick
C: Graham Barton
RG: Cody Mauch
RT: Luke Goedeke
Option 2: Barton at left guard
LT: Tristan Wirfs
LG: Graham Barton
C: Robert Hainsey/Ben Bredeson/potential draft pick
RG: Cody Mauch
RT: Luke Goedeke
Graham Barton always felt like a fit for the Bucs, which is why he was one of Pewter Report’s Bucs Best Bets heading into the draft. Barton was also the team’s first-round draft pick in Pewter Report’s mock draft 2.0 and 3.0. Tampa Bay held a formal meeting with the former Duke standout at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and now he’s the newest Buc.
Barton wore No. 62 in college and with the retirement of Ryan Jensen this offseason, that number appears to be available if the rookie wants it. Given Barton was widely regarded as the best interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft, the board falling the way it did for Tampa Bay was certainly a win for Licht and those in the Bucs’ draft room.
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