Graham Barton isn’t the best offensive line prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, but he might be the most versatile. And for a Miami Dolphins team that used a staggering 12 different offensive line combinations in 18 games last year, that’s invaluable.
Which is why Barton, a late first-round to early second-round prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, might make more sense for the Dolphins than any other team in Round 1.
Miami Dolphins Draft Preview: Get To Know Duke OL Graham Barton
The Basics
- Age: 21
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 313 pounds
- Length: 32 7/8″
- Wingspan: 79 3/4″
- Hand: 9 3/8″
- Current Year: Senior
- PFN Big Board Ranking: No. 39 overall, No. 2 IOL
Why Graham Barton Is a First-Round Talent
Barton, who can play all five positions on the offensive line, was almost exclusively a left tackle at Duke. And he has as much game tape to evaluate as any prospect in the draft.
He started 39 games during his four years in Durham, logging an astounding 2,665 collegiate snaps.
The three-star prospect out of Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.) High School proved the rating services wrong almost right away. Barton went on to become a two-time All-America and first-team All-ACC honoree (2022 and 2023).
“Barton’s five-position versatility is one of the top differentiators on his profile,” PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings writes in Barton’s draft profile. “He has experience at both tackle and center, and his combination of athleticism, power, flexibility, footwork feel, anchor strength, football IQ, and physicality allows him to seamlessly transition between roles.”
How Barton Would Fit
While Barton can play tackle in a pinch, he’ll almost certainly get bumped inside at the pro level due to his arm length (32 7/8 inches).
He would presumably compete with Aaron Brewer to be the Dolphins’ starting center, with the loser of that battle bumping out to right guard.
More from Cummings on how Barton projects:
“On one hand, Barton does flash the necessary independent hand usage, precision, and leverage acquisition skills to counteract that. On the other hand, he still leaves his torso too wide at times and can be susceptible to lapses in balance when approached with power.
“Much like Tennessee Titans first-round pick Peter Skoronski from the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, I’m of the mind that, while Barton could survive at tackle, he projects better at guard or center.
“A move inside would help mitigate Barton’s arm-length concerns while also maximizing his most exciting traits — his explosiveness, physicality, power drive, torquing capacity, flexibility, leverage acquisition, and angle awareness.”
21 Is Too High
If the Dolphins take Barton with the 21st pick, it will be a mistake. There will almost certainly be better options on the board then in this very deep offensive tackle draft.
But don’t count out a trade-back scheme in which the Dolphins slide back six or seven picks in the first round, acquire a much-needed mid-round pick, and still land a Week 1 starter on the offensive line.
Nerd Alert!
And we say that in the most complimentary way. You want your offensive linemen to be brainiacs, and Barton fits the bill.
Barton, per his Duke bio, was a second-team CSC Academic All-America honoree, earning Academic All-District and Academic All-ACC honors.
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He was also selected to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
Translation: He’s a smart dude.
And he might be the right dude for a Dolphins team in search of one more starting lineman.