Graham Barton OG Duke: Scouting Report

Height: 6’5

Weight: 314

Overall

Graham Barton is a physical left tackle in Duke’s balanced offense. In his 4 seasons with the Blue Devils he played in 44 games starting all but 1 of them. He played primarily at left tackle but he has experience at center during his freshman season and at guard in high school giving him the flexibility to play anywhere on the line at the next level.

Pass Game

Barton is quick in getting into his pass sets and does a good job of staying square with his man post-snap. Against speed rushers he lacks the lateral mobility to cover a lot of ground on the edge and when he gets off-balance he struggles getting his feet back into position. Against power rushers he has a poor anchor and at times he picks his feet up off the turf causing him to give up a lot of ground against bull-rushes. He has sufficient size at the tackle position but his lack of lateral mobility and anchor will likely force him to slide inside to guard or center in the NFL. On the interior he will be more protected against athletic defenders but he still needs to improve his strength against bull-rushes moving forward.

Run Game

In the run game, Barton explodes out of his stance and he has a very strong initial punch to drive his man vertical off the snap. After initial contact he does an excellent job of driving his feet to overpower defenders and he consistently created big running lanes on film. He has experience both on zone and power runs. On zone runs he has the strength to make the initial block but he excels at finishing the first block while getting up the field to get second and even third blocks. While he struggles in his lateral movement he is very good at moving vertically up the field. On power runs he is a dominant down blocker and when used as a puller, he does a good job of getting up field and walling off defenders creating big holes for the ball-carrier. He is dominant in the run game and will be an immediate impact player wherever he plays on the line.

Last Word

Graham Barton projects best as a guard at the next level with the flexibility to play center or even tackle if necessary. He is a dominant run blocker and if he continues to develop as a pass-protector he can grow into a very strong lineman early in his career.

One-Liner: Although Graham Barton has some flaws in pass protection, he is dominant in the run game and he has the versatility to play anywhere on the line in the pros.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter with 2 Position Flexibility)

Games Watched: 2023- Clemson, North Carolina, Florida State

Team Fits: Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Washington Commanders