Steelers Draft Profile: Graham Barton (IOL, Duke)

Barton could be the most overlooked prospect for Pittsburgh at pick 20.

Approaching the 2024 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll breakdown the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have added many key free agents so far this offseason, including QB Russell Wilson, ILB Patrick Queen — and even a new punter, Cameron Johnston. A position they have yet to address is center. Following the release of Mason Cole, it was assumed by many that the black and gold would address the position in some capacity before the NFL Draft. Because that hasn’t happened, it’s easy to connect the dots and draw the conclusion that the Steelers will be in the market for a center early in the draft.

We’ve heard so much about Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier – but Graham Barton is a player who has a first-round pedigree and could potentially be in play. Barton started his career at Duke as a center but eventually was moved to left tackle, which is arguably the most important position on an offensive line. There have been many questions surrounding his ability to play center, but he wasn’t moved because of any struggles – it was simply because he was the best lineman at Duke, so he played the most critical position. Let’s dive into some of Barton’s tape.

The basics on Graham Barton

• Postion: Center
• Class: Senior
• Size: 6’5, 314 pounds
• Age: 22 years old
• Projected draft round: Late Round 1, Early Round 2

Graham Barton scouting report

Barton shows off his athleticism and mean streak below and pancakes a few Florida State Seminoles to help open a lane for his running back to scamper for a touchdown. We talk a lot about a defender’s “get off” as opposed to an o-lineman but look how quickly Barton fires off the line of scrimmage here. And keep an eye on the celebration at the end. The dude was FIRED up!

This tape against Florida State is telling because he’s playing against EDGE Jared Verse, who is considered by most a top 15 player in this NFL Draft class. On this play, Barton loses the rep to Verse, who pushes him back towards the quarterback forcing him to scramble out of the pocket. This is likely why Barton isn’t going to play left-tackle at the next level. Fortunately, he won’t be going against guys like Verse as an interior lineman.

Barton consistently went against top-notch competition playing in the ACC, and his tape against a strong Clemson front is outstanding. He puts the EDGE on his back here on another breakfast rep and allows his QB Riley Leonard a clear lane to pick up a nice chunk of yards on the ground.

Because he’s likely to play center, we’re probably more likely to get an understanding of how he will fit at the next level by watching plays where he’s leading the charge for the ground game. Here, he shows his athleticism and ability to pull, paving the way for a solid gain on first down. He’d be a welcomed presence on an Arthur Smith-led offense in front of backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren — an offense that will prioritize the ground and pound.

Strengths

• Versatility
• Experience
• Stature and Mobility
• Zone offense heavy scheme

Weaknesses

• Lack of experience at center
• Arm length which impacts his frame
• Not much else…

What others are saying about Graham Barton

Graham Barton’s fit with the Steelers

There is a very obvious elephant in the room here; can Barton come in from day one and be your starting center after not playing the position for a few years? During the Mason Cole era our eyes were consistently bleeding due to poor snaps that led to broken plays. There is not much tape of Barton snapping the football. But I’m not overly worried. He’s being touted by most experts as a center, and given his dominance in college, I’m confident he can play any of the three interior line positions at a high level.

He should be on Pittsburgh’s radar at 20 and is probably the second-best center in the draft behind Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson.

What are your thoughts on Graham Barton? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!