What Kind Of Evaluation Did Graham Barton Get From PFF?

by

Pro Football Focus has continued their positional ranking series and this time their list includes Bucs center Graham Barton. The second-year offensive lineman is coming off of a promising rookie season where he helped the Bucs’ rushing attack to a top five finish while ensuring quarterback Baker Mayfield was one of the least pressured passers in the league.

Graham Barton Receives Little Love From PFF

While playing a new position, Barton’s opening salvo had its bumps along the way. But there was plenty to like in his athleticism, technique and learning curve to say his trajectory is that of an ascending player who should be on the rise. But his ranking on PFF’s list is disappointing to say the least as they have him placed 21st overall.

Mason Cameron of PFF wrote, “While Barton’s rookie season didn’t culminate in an excellent grading profile, he showcased a solid foundation. In his second season at just 24 years old, the Buccaneers center will be hoping to build on his ability as a pass protector, where he allowed just a single sack across 640 pass sets in 2024.”

Bucs C Graham Barton and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Barton ranked 15th among qualified centers by PFF’s grading system as a pass blocker with a 63.7 grade. And his 98.1 pass block efficiency was 12th overall. His 55.8 run blocking grade was 26th of 30 qualifying players. His 55.8 overall grade was also 26th. For all of the success Tampa Bay’s run game had, the grading site was not high on his play as a run blocker. It’s an assessment I wholeheartedly disagree with.

That’s not to say there aren’t areas where he can grow going forward. His stunt/twist pickups were on the slow side, and he was still getting used to making the snap-to-set process fluid.

Barton Ranks Low Among 2024 Rookies

Barton was one of five players from the 2024 draft class to make the list. He was fourth of the five. Steelers center Zach Frazier placed third after an incredible rookie campaign that was only blemished by an injury that cost him two games. Cooper Beebe of the Cowboys paced 16th on the list. Raiders’ offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson followed right behind Beebe. He struggled shortly after being inserted into the starting lineup as a guard but improved considerably after moving to the pivot. Colts center Tannor Bortolini ranked 30th out of 32 on the list, working as a fill-in for Ryan Kelly last year.

Offensive line analyst Branon Thorn is quite high on the Bucs sophomore blocker.

Barton Shows Progress

Given the quick acclimation and promise that he showed last year paired with his youth and trajectory, this ranking seems to lack context and projection. Just by their own grades, PFF had Barton 16th overall from week 15 through the playoffs. The site did move him up several spots from where they had him last year coming out of college.

On their 2024 list Barton came in at 28th overall with Thomas Valentine noting, “Barton spent the last three years of his college career at left tackle for Duke, earning a 78.3 grade in that time. He’ll likely kick inside to center for the Buccaneers due to size issues, but Barton has been an excellent pass-blocker over the past two years and should perform well there.”

The evidence points more to progression than stagnation or regression for the young lineman from Duke as he enters year two in the NFL. As it stands Barton is now the 8th Bucs player to be featured on these lists, joining fellow offensive stars Cade Otton, Bucky Irving, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke as well as defensive standouts Lavonte David, Jamel Dean and Vita Vea.

Leave a Comment