On Thursday night, the Buccaneers bolstered the interior of their offensive line with Duke's Graham Barton. The first-team All-ACC and All-America honoree was a four-year starter at Duke, occupying the left tackle role for three seasons. He served as the Blue Devils' center during his freshman campaign (five starts), anchoring the line. Barton plays with a fiery disposition, balance, body control and second-level skills. He possesses nimble feet, elite play strength and physicality to finish through the whistle. Here are several top takeaways from Barton's media availability on Thursday night and Friday morning from the AdventHealth Training Center:
Disposition on the Field
The Bucs' brass covets tenacity in the trenches. Whether Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa or Luke Goedeke, all have possessed one notable quality: a nasty temperament at the line of scrimmage. The aforementioned names embody physicality on the field and impose their will with violence. Barton now joins that fraternity of past and present gritty linemen. He is an explosive drive blocker and fires out of his stance. The Duke product embraces his fiery demeanor on the field and approaches every snap without reserve.
To, it is about making the right block and displacement and violence; that is how the offensive line position should look. I take a lot of pride in doing that to the best of my ability. You can only play this game so long so why waste a snap? Every rep is foot on the gas, so I think that is why I play with that nastiness and violence because of the passion that I have for the game in how much I love it and appreciate the opportunity to do this."
Draft Night
The Buccaneers selected Graham Barton with the 26th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. For Barton, belief, sacrifice, craft enhancement, passion and mental fortitude played a vital role in the pinnacle draft moment. His dream of playing on the grandest stage become reality with a single phone call from Buccaneers' General Manager Jason Licht. In that emotional moment, Barton was surrounded by loved ones.
"Years and years of dedication goes into that moment; it was pretty surreal," noted Barton. "It is kind of still setting in and has been quite the last 24 hours. I am really grateful for having those people [friends and family] around me and enjoying that moment with people that I really care about."
Athleticism is the Name of the Game
Barton's mobility and effectiveness at the second-level were attributing factors to his first-round draft status. The rangy athlete is quick off the line of scrimmage into his blocks and is an aggressive finisher. Barton thrived in Duke's zone-based scheme and is adept at redirecting against counters. The 6-foot-five, 314-pound lineman possesses outstanding balance and core strength to win the leverage game. His short-area quickness will add another dimension for the interior of the Bucs' offensive line. As the Bucs look to revitalize their run game in 2024 under the direction of Liam Coen, Barton will provide a boost.
"I think [my athleticism] is the reason I'm talking to you guys right now," stated Barton. "It helps me get off the ball, it helps me get to my landmarks. It's just kind of what I've built my game around and I'll continue to build my game around my athletic ability. I've added some strength, added some power, continuing to be more consistent, hitting my targets, improving my hand placement, improving my feet – I think those are all things I'll always have to work on, especially transitioning from college to the NFL, those will be big points of emphasis for me. [I look forward to] building on the strength that is my athletic ability."
