The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a big need for interior offensive linemen, and draft pundits around the league seem to be taking notice.
A recent PFF mock draft from Trevor Sikkema had the Bucs taking Duke tackle Graham Barton with the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft this year, and ESPN’s latest mock draft has done the same. Field Yates put out their first post-Super Bowl mock on Wendesday, and he also had Tampa Bay selecting the versatile lineman out of Durham, North Carolina.
Here’s what Yates had to say about Barton:
Barton’s versatility makes him an appealing player to basically every team, as he began his college career as a center and finished it at left tackle, playing both spots at a high level. Many in the scouting world think he’ll settle into a guard role with center flexibility, and this pick would follow a Tampa Bay trend. The Bucs like to draft mobile college tackles and kick them inside, with recent examples including Cody Mauch and Robert Hainsey.
Yates is correct. Mauch was a tackle that the team bumped to guard for his debut season with the Bucs in 2023, and Hainsey was a tackle that ended up moving to center by circumstance after and injury to Ryan Jensen at the beginning of 2022. Given Tampa Bay’s draft history and their current need, Barton is a very reasonable projection for the first round.
Guard and center may be perhaps Tampa Bay’s biggest need, but it isn’t the only one. The Bucs also need another edge rusher to compliment standout rookie Yaya Diaby, so that is also a route the team could go in the NFL draft this April.
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