Line-Needy Seahawks Meet With Do-It-All Duke OL Graham Barton
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – While Duke standout Graham Barton garnered All-American and All-ACC honors as a left tackle over the past two seasons, the Seattle Seahawks look to be one of several teams with significant interest in the versatile blocker playing elsewhere in the trenches.
Viewed as one of the top offensive line prospects in a deep draft class, Barton acknowledged on Saturday during his NFL combine media availability that he had a formal meeting with the Seahawks. Additionally, he met with Cowboys, Bills, and several other teams this week, with the player himself indicating conversations with a handful of teams have focused on him as a center rather than left tackle.
“Teams appreciate that because the offensive line is a violent position, a lot of things can happen,” Barton said of his ability to play all five positions, including center. “A lot of injuries happen throughout the year for every NFL team, so to have guys who can move positions and have that flexibility, teams value that and I think I bring that to the table.”
Offering college starting experience at center and left guard, Graham Barton likely will be a first-round pick and offers rare versatility being able to play all five spots on the offensive line.
Born and raised in Brentwood, Tennessee, Barton emerged as a three-star prospect at Ravenwood High School and per 247Sports scouting, he ranked as the 14th best guard in the country in the 2020 recruiting class. Receiving multiple scholarship offers, he chose to commit to Duke over Michigan State and Vanderbilt.
Due to a pair of season-ending injuries ahead of him on the depth chart, Barton jumped into the starting lineup at center for the Blue Devils as a true freshman, starting the final six games at the pivot position. Giving up just nine pressures and no sacks on 238 pass blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus, he earned Second-Team Freshman All-American honors from The Athletic.
Despite his success at center, Barton transitioned back outside to left tackle starting in 2021, enduring some struggles in his first season protecting the blind side while allowing six sacks. But he made major strides as a junior in 2022, surrendering only 10 total pressures and a pair of sacks in 13 starts while posting an elite 86.2 run blocking grade, which ranked fourth among FBS Division I tackles.
Coming off his first All-ACC selection, though he missed two games with a lower body injury, Barton had another fine season to cap off his college career. Allowing only 11 pressures and two sacks while continuing to dominate in the run game, he received Second-Team All-American recognition from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
Considering his success at left tackle, some NFL teams may still view Barton as a potential option to play outside at the next level. However, if healthy, he would have taken snaps at center at the Senior Bowl in January and most teams appear to view him as a better fit snapping and playing inside at the next level, where his athleticism and tenacity could make him a Pro Bowl-caliber starter early in his career.
In the case of the Seahawks, Barton would make a ton of sense at either center or guard, as the team currently has three former starters in Evan Brown, Damien Lewis, and Phil Haynes scheduled to become free agents on March 13. Unlikely to re-sign all three players, the team has significant needs in the interior of the offensive line and Barton brings a nasty, physical edge that would immediately bolster the run game and make him worth consideration as early as pick No. 16 in round one.
Since right tackle Abraham Lucas missed most of the 2023 season and recently underwent a knee procedure, Barton’s flexibility playing either tackle spot would also give Seattle a nice security blanket in case his knee issues remain a recurring problem.
Ultimately, with 2023 fifth-round center Olu Oluwatimi set to return after impressing in limited action as a rookie, Barton’s best fit with the Seahawks likely would be at guard, which he interestingly didn’t play at all in college. But given his previous background as a top-15 recruit playing the position, he doesn’t think it would be an issue for him to slide back inside and provide an immediate impact, confidently saying it would be “just like riding a bike.”
“I think I can fit into a lot of offensive lines in the NFL. I’m athletic, I play with my feet well, I’ve got fast feet, so I think that transitions well for me in many offensive lines being able to play out of many different stances and many different positions.”