Graham Barton earns top PFF grade among rookie offensive linemen in NFL preseason debut

Graham Barton, the former Duke football star and Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick, didn’t allow a sack during his preseason debut.

Former Duke football star [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag], whom the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took in the first round of the NFL draft this April, made his debut on Saturday in a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The results, for Bucs and Blue Devils fans, offered lots of promise.

Barton played 18 snaps in the game and didn’t allow a sack or even a single pressure. Pro Football Focus awarded him an 80.1 pass-blocking grade and an 87.3 run-blocking grade, making him the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman for the week.

Barton played offensive tackle for his last three seasons of college football, earning two First Team All-ACC nominations, but he played center as a freshman and he’ll return to that position in the NFL. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said the team “crossed its fingers” in hopes that the former Blue Devil would fall to them with the 26th pick, and he’s expected to start for the team this season.

Barton makes his NFL debut against the Washington Commanders on September 8.