In last season's NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Duke's Graham Barton with their first overall pick, No. 26. Barton was widely considered to be one of the best at his position, and his selection has worked well for Tampa Bay.
Barton's star rose during his rookie season in 2024 where he helped anchor an offensive line that allowed Baker Mayfield to register another career season and Bucky Irving to rush for 1,122 yards.
During Barton's final season at Duke, his quarterback was Riley Leonard, who moved on to Notre Dame last season and lost in the College Football Playoff final to Ohio State.
But Leonard had nothing but good things to say about Barton while speaking to teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week per Pewter Report.
"Dog. Graham Barton, dog. He's a guy who is going to be in the league for a long time. If you pull up his tape this year, you'll know the type of athlete he is. And then if you meet him off the field, you'll be even more impressed. So... Graham Barton, dog."
Barton does appear to be a "dog" as Leonard suggested. After playing left tackle for the Blue Devils, the Bucs moved him to center, where he played at an equally high level.
Barton looks to be a long-term solution on the offensive line for the Bucs and has the versatility to play at guard or center. Something teams love about young linemen.
