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Graham Barton Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell
Strengths:
- Good power
- Physical blocker
- Blocks through the whistle
- Will finish defenders off
- Quality athlete
- Very quick for an offensive lineman
- Excellent technique
- Quick feet
- Gets depth in his drop to neutralize speed rushers
- Can play the typewriter to cut off the corner
- Natural knee bender
- Hand placement
- Has the power to get a push in the ground game
- Sustains blocks well
- Tremendous blocker at the second level
- Fires out of his stance
- Skilled to hit combo blocks
- Walls off and ties up defenders in the ground game
- Exceptional agility
- Very quick to the second level
- Lots of experience
- Fit for a zone-blocking system
- Fits a power-man blocking scheme
Weaknesses:
- Short arms
- Lacks length
- Should move inside in the NFL
- Has problems with speed-to-power
- Has anchor issues on the edge
Prospect Summary:
Over the past four seasons, Barton was a good starter for the Blue Devils. He played some center as a freshman before serving as their starting left tackle from 2021-2023.
As a pass blocker, Barton can bend and is a smooth mover. He has quick feet and can play the typewriter to glide with pass rushers to keep them from running the arc around him. Barton does not have good length, but he uses what he has well and is a smart tactician regarding how he engages defenders. Barton places his hands well to sustain blocks and shows good technique for negating speed rushes.
In pass protection, Barton has some issues with his anchor, as he is susceptible to some speed-to-power rushes – see Barton versus Jared Verse in the Florida State game. Given that anchor trouble and his lack of length, Barton should move inside to guard or center in the NFL.
In the ground game, Barton is effective and contributes well. He generates movement on defenders, possesing the ability to push them or manipulate them through some advanced power. In 2023, Barton showed strength and power to knock defenders off the ball and drive them backward. He will block through the whistle and finishes defenders off with some violence.
Barton was a tough blocker for DUke in short-yardage situations, and he displayed the necessary strength to be a starting interior blocker in the NFL. Barton fires off the ball with an impressive burst, and that will serve him well on the inside. Thanks to his quickness and ability to bolt out of his stance, Barton is very good at firing to the second level to get to blocks on linebackers or move in space pulling around the line.
The big knocks on Barton are short arms and a lack of anchor, but he has a good skill set with advanced technique, so the lack of length was not a problem at Duke.
Some NFL team sources said they think Barton could be a very good starting guard at the next level, and some other sources said they felt Barton could be an elite center. Barton is a pure football player who could be a plug-and-play starter. He has a shot of sneaking into the late first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he is more likely to go in the second round.
Prospect Comparison:
Travis Fredrick. Barton is reminiscent of Fredrick. They are almost identical in size and tough fighters at the line of scrimmage. Fredrick (6-4, 320) had the size to be a guard or center, but center was his best fit. I could see center being Barton’s best fit as a pro.
RELATED LINKS:
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
