Many have been singing the praises of Bucs’ first-round pick Graham Barton ever since the team’s new offensive lineman has entered the building at One Buccaneer Place. It’s not that easy for an offensive lineman to make a big impression during OTAs and mini-camp when there aren’t any pads on during the non-contact offseason, but somehow Barton caught plenty of attention.
The hype around Barton began almost as soon as he was drafted. He was getting compared to former Bucs great Ali Marpet as their next spectacular offensive lineman draft pick. General manager Jason Licht even threw current left tackle Tristan Wirfs and former center Ryan Jensen into the mix when describing Barton. To Barton’s credit, whether it’s been the Marpet comparison or the compliments geared towards his understanding of the offense during practice, he’s been pretty upfront with the fact that he’s not an all-world offensive lineman just yet.
“Obviously, I haven’t played a snap in this league yet, so I have a lot of work to do to even be half as good as those guys, but I’m just excited for the opportunity,” Graham Barton said on draft night on April 26. “I appreciate their belief in me as a player and as a person. [I am] excited, like I said, to just get to work with these guys and prove them right and prove that they made the right decision and win some football games and be a part of this culture.”
Bucs Praise Graham Barton For Quick Start
Graham Barton comes into the NFL not just trying to understand a new offense, but also get re-acclimated to the center position. While he did play some center at Duke during his freshman season, the majority of his playing career was at left tackle. The way he’s balanced everything has been noticed by Bucs players and coaches.
“It’s a heavy load, especially after playing tackle for three years and then going against a defense that does a lot of things,” head coach Todd Bowles said at mini-camp. “This will be a good baptism for him, as far as getting ready for the season. I think he’s learned a lot, I think he’s eager to get in pads and really show what he can do physically. He’s a smart guy.”
Baker Mayfield doubled down on Bowles’ last comment on Graham Barton being a smart guy. Mayfield is aware of how quickly Barton has picked up an offense ran by Liam Coen that has been difficult for some to figure out. Mayfield had an idea of why Graham Barton has been so good at it.
“I guess Duke’s academic program is pretty good,” Mayfield said.
Graham Barton Is Getting A Good Learning Experience
With so much going on, what has gotten Graham Barton on the right track? It’s understanding that he doesn’t have to be perfect right now as a rookie in the offseason. Making mistakes and learning for them have been a benefit more than many realize. This is the time to make those mistakes so he and everyone else on Tampa Bay’s offense will be ready to go by the end of training camp.
“I don’t want to stand up here and say, ‘I got it,’ because there’s a long way to go,” Barton said. “We’ve only been here a couple of weeks. But, I definitely think the biggest thing is it’s okay to make mistakes, but don’t beat yourself up over making a mistake – just correct it, don’t let it happen in a game. When you make it twice, that’s when you get mad at yourself.
“I just think keeping my head above water and taking in as much as I can, just trying to listen to everyone. Understanding my position as a rookie, I just got here, I don’t know anything. [I am] telling myself that and trying to soak everything in has kind of been my mindset. I feel like I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from the vets, the coaches, the meeting time, on the field. I feel like I’ve learned a ton and [I’m] excited to take these next couple weeks and sort of digest it and come back for training camp ready to roll.”
