USA TODAY Sports writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz released his ranking of the top 50 players in the NFL draft on Thursday morning. How highly does he regard Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton compared to the rest of the class?
Middlehurst-Schwartz ranked Barton as the 22nd-best overall player available. The former Blue Devil, who played both tackle and center during his time at Duke, was his sixth-highest offensive lineman in the rankings.
Washington’s Troy Fautanu was the only interior lineman above Barton in the rankings, but like Barton, he could play multiple positions at the next level. Should he remain a tackle in the NFL, there’s a chance that Barton is the best player at his position in the draft (at least according to this list).
“(Barton’s) savvy should come in handy on the interior,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. “The 6-5, 311-pounder figures to be an aggressive yet composed blocker who can set the tone.”
Jackson Powers-Johnson, the Oregon center who won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in the country last year, figures to be Barton’s top competition for the first interior lineman off the board. Middlehurst-Schwartz had Powers-Johnson as his 34th overall prospect.
The NFL draft is two weeks away, with the first round scheduled for Thursday, April 25.