Graham Barton became the eighth former Duke player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him off the board with the 26th pick.
Laken Tomlinson, another member of the elite club, took notice of the accomplishment. The Duke football team shared a short clip of the NFL veteran addressing his former Blue Devil after the selection.
“I’m so proud of you, man,” Tomlinson said. “I know about all the work you’ve been putting on in the trenches.”
“Keep grinding and making us proud. I can’t wait to see what you do next year on the field.”
Tomlinson, who also plays on the offensive line, was picked 28th overall by the Detroit Lions in 2015. At the time, he was the first first-rounder from the Duke program in almost 30 years.
He signed with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason after stints with the San Fransisco 49ers and the New York Jets.
Just a couple of first round offensive linemen from Duke 😈@grahambarton53 x @laken77 pic.twitter.com/KH4ZOLJcJd
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) April 26, 2024
Tomlinson, Barton, and New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones are the only three Duke players taken on opening night since 1987.