The Pittsburgh Steelers will no doubt be looking for a center in the upcoming draft, but it remains to be seen if that is their target on day one in two weeks from today. There are three main prospects that have been in the first-round discussion so far, including Duke OL Graham Barton. He played left tackle for three seasons at Duke but also played some center in 2020 as a freshman after the team sustained two injuries at the position.
Barton’s athleticism and stellar play in college have him going in the first round in the eyes of many draft analysts, but it is definitely up for debate which position is his best fit. His arm length (32 7/8) is a bit on the shorter end for an NFL tackle, so naturally, many people are projecting him to go back to center. There is another camp of people who are viewing him as a guard.
In a recent pre-draft conference call with the media, Mel Kiper Jr. was asked if he views the Steelers taking a center in the first round.
“They’ve had centers and anchors of those lines that have been there forever and have done great jobs, and now they gotta get that guy. And Graham Barton from Duke could be that guy,” Kiper said. “He’s a former tackle. He played center early on…He’s a plug-and-play center for [Russell] Wilson or [Justin] Fields or both, ’cause I think both will play. So yeah, I would think you gotta get that anchor.”
It is difficult to call a guy who hasn’t played the position since 2020 “plug and play,” but the draft community seems to agree that Barton will be a good pro at one of the five positions. He is lauded as having a high football IQ, and his athleticism, technique, and footwork will enable him to succeed at any of the five positions.
His athleticism would be a particularly good fit in the Steelers’ system under Arthur Smith who prefers an outside zone run scheme where linemen need to be able to reach block and cover ground in a hurry.
On his Move The Sticks podcast, Daniel Jeremiah mentioned that Barton has been one of the most talked-about prospects in his conversations with NFL execs leading up to the draft. He speculated that Barton could be the first center off the board because of the positional versatility.
For an in-depth scouting report on Barton, check out Jim Hester’s report below.
