Graham Barton
{{Short description|American football player (born 2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Graham Barton
| image =Graham Barton (53988023297) (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Barton with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024
| current_team = Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| number = 62
| position = Center
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|6|1|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Brentwood, Tennessee, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 313
| high_school = Ravenwood (Brentwood)
| college = Duke (2020–2023)
| draftyear = 2024
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 26
| pastteams =
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- Second-team All-American (2023)
- 2× first-team All-ACC (2022, 2023)
| statseason = 2024
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 16
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 16
| pfr = B/BartGr00
|teams=Tampa Bay Buccaneers}}
Graham Barton (born June 1, 2002) is an American professional football center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils, earning all-conference honors in 2022 and 2023, and All-American honors in the latter year. Barton was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Early life
Barton was born on June 1, 2002, in Brentwood, Tennessee, and attended Ravenwood High School.{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=George |date=April 23, 2024 |title=How Graham Barton's journey to the 2024 NFL Draft began as a young Ravenwood offensive lineman |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/2024/04/23/graham-barton-nfl-draft-2024-duke-offensive-lineman-ravenwood/73305956007/ |access-date=May 19, 2024 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}} His parents are Philip and Heather Barton. Graham also has one sibling, Anna Barton. Considered a three-star recruit by the 247Sports rankings, Barton was listed as the No. 14 offensive guard in 2020, and the No. 10 prospect in the state of Tennessee. He committed to play college football at Duke over offers from Michigan State and Vanderbilt.{{Cite web |last=Kreager |first=Tom |date=August 3, 2019 |title=Football recruiting: Duke commit Graham Barton is No. 7 on Dandy Dozen |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/08/03/football-recruiting-duke-graham-barton-dandy-dozen-ravenwood-raptors/1843174001/ |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=The Tennessean}}{{Cite web |last=Kreager |first=Tom |date=April 10, 2019 |title=Football recruiting: Graham Barton picks Duke over Michigan State, Vanderbilt |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/04/10/football-recruiting-ravenwood-lineman-graham-barton-chooses-duke/3426759002/ |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=The Tennessean}}
College career
Barton first saw playing time during his freshman season at Duke after both the first and second string centers suffered season-ending injuries.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/duke/football/david-cutcliffe-on-how-duke-handles-injury-center|title=David Cutcliffe on How Duke Handles Injuries at Center|first=Shawn|last=Krest|website=SI.com|date=October 28, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2023}} He started the Blue Devils' final five games of the season and was named a second team Freshman All-America by The Athletic.{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/2530461/2021/04/23/david-cutcliffe-hands-over-the-plays-duke-leans-on-culture-to-get-back-to-where-we-have-been/|title=David Cutcliffe hands over the plays, Duke leans on culture to get back to ‘where we have been’|first=Manny|last=Navarro|website=The Athletic|date=April 23, 2021|access-date=May 3, 2023}} Barton was named Duke's starting left tackle entering his sophomore season.{{cite web|url=https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/2021/8/21/22635167/duke-football-graham-barton-john-gelotte-jake-bobo-mataeo-durant-david-cutcliffe|title=Duke Football: 2-9 Means Opportunity For Younger Players|first=Jim|last=Sumner|website=DukeBasketballReport.com|publisher=SB Nation|date=August 21, 2021|access-date=May 3, 2023}} He was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a junior.{{cite web|url=https://duke.rivals.com/news/graham-barton-named-first-team-all-acc-8-other-blue-devils-collect-honors|title=Graham Barton named first-team All-ACC; 8 other Blue Devils collect honors|first=Conor|last=O'Neill|website=Rivals.com|date=November 29, 2022|access-date=May 2, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/duke/Article/Duke-OT-Graham-Barton-listed-as-first-round-pick-in-2024-PFF-mock-draft-209272513/|title=Duke OT Graham Barton listed as first round pick in 2024 PFF mock draft|first=Adam|last=Rowe|website=247Sports.com|date=May 1, 2023|access-date=May 3, 2023}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 5 3/8
| weight = 313
| dash = 4.97
| ten split = 1.68
| twenty split = 2.82
| shuttle = 4.55
| cone drill = 7.31
| arm span = 32 7/8
| hand span = 9 3/8
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/graham-barton/32004241-5276-8688-5a6e-aadc714bdd3c |title=Graham Barton Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 17, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1039314&DraftYear=2024 |title=2024 NFL Draft Scout Graham Barton College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 17, 2024}}
}}
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Barton in the first round (26th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft. He was the first center drafted in 2024 and was the seventh offensive lineman.{{Cite web |last=Florio |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Florio |date=April 26, 2024 |title=Buccaneers take offensive lineman Graham Barton with pick No. 26 |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/buccaneers-take-offensive-lineman-graham-barton-with-pick-no-26 |access-date=May 19, 2024 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US}}
On June 23, 2024, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Barton to a four-year, $14.02 million contract that's fully guaranteed at signing with a signing bonus of $7.02 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/90355/graham-barton| title=Spotrac.com: Cody Barton contract history| access-date=December 12, 2024}}
Throughout training camp, Barton competed to be the starting center against fourth-year veteran Robert Hainsey, who was the starter the previous season. Head coach Todd Bowles named Barton the starting center to begin the season.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/graham-barton/ Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio]
- [https://goduke.com/sports/football/roster/graham-barton/19201 Duke Blue Devils bio]
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{{2024 NFL draft}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, Graham}}
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:Sportspeople from Brentwood, Tennessee
Category:Players of American football from Williamson County, Tennessee
Category:Duke Blue Devils football players
Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players