HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 313

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: 79¾"

40-YARD DASH: 4.97

3-CONE: 7.31

SHUTTLE: 4.55

VERTICAL: NA

BROAD: NA

POSITIVES

— Thick, compact build with a low center of gravity, good core strength and contact balance.

— Above-average initial and lateral quickness seen out of stance, on backside cut-offs, second-level climbs and redirecting against counter moves.

— Very good grip strength, sustain and steer skills to create lateral displacement and rush lanes.

— Understands how to brace and create lift to anchor with his head out of the block.

— Skilled, strong run-blocker on base, kick-out and combination blocks thanks to consistently good pad level, body positioning and finishing skills.

— Renowned leadership qualities, work ethic and drive to improve.

NEGATIVES

— Sawed-off frame with below-average length.

— Middling length coupled with a tendency to drop his outside foot early in pass protection creates short corners and two-way gos that would be pronounced in the NFL at tackle.

— Inconsistent strike timing in pass protection that can allow rushers quick access into his frame and/or access to his edges.

2023 STATISTICS

— 9 starts at left tackle

NOTES

— Born June 1, 2002

— 3-star recruit from 2020 class, per 247 sports

— 39 career starts, with five at center during his freshman season and the rest coming at left tackle

— Duke QB Riley Leonard said that Barton is "arguably the hardest football player that we have, the hardest worker on the field and off the field"

— Attended the 2023 OL Masterminds event in Frisco, Texas

OVERALL

Graham Barton is a three-year starter inside Duke's 60-40 run-pass split, zone-based run scheme with 39 career starts (34 at left tackle and five at center). Barton has a thick, compact and sawed-off build with a low center of gravity, good core strength and contact balance.

Barton has an advanced understanding of how to win leverage on defenders with positioning, pad level and good quickness to get into initial fits on time. He shows good hand placement with excellent grip strength to sustain, steer and finish blocks at a high level to create rush lanes off of his backside in the zone run game.

Barton is a very stubborn blocker once engaged with the contact balance and core strength to stay attached past initial contact. He is efficient on combo blocks both feeding, overtaking and climbing to intersect second-level targets.

As a pass-protector, Barton wins with good short-area quickness, redirect ability against counters and knowing how to brace, create force through the ground and lift with his hands to anchor with his head out of the block. However, Barton's ability to deal with space on an island at tackle is shaky due to his below-average arm length, lack of girth and inconsistent strike timing that shrinks his margin for error with his technique, leading to short corners and easy access to his frame.

Barton has also been in and out of the lineup this season due to injuries, which has likely factored into some inconsistent performances, specifically as a pass-protector (versus Northwestern and North Carolina). However, he also had a high-quality performance against star Florida State edge-rusher Jared Verse.

Overall, Barton is a stubborn, sticky blocker with the short-area quickness, play strength and competitive toughness to make a successful transition inside and become a solid, dependable starter right away at guard or center in a multiple run scheme. Barton's profile and projection is very similar to Forrest Lamp coming out of Western Kentucky in terms of body type, play style and pro expectations.

GRADE: 8.0 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st/Early 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 21

POSITION RANK: IOL2

PRO COMPARISON: Forrest Lamp

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

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