Steelers will be all over Graham Barton
Center is undoubtedly one of, if not the, biggest needs for the Steelers this offseason. This was the case when Mason Cole was on the roster, and now that he has been released, there is no established center on the roster. While a free agent could fill this void, Pittsburgh needs to find their center of the future in the draft, and this offseason features a strong draft class along the offensive line, center included.
When it comes to first-round names, everyone has centered in on Jackson Powers-Johnson, but after the combine, I would be far more interested in Graham Barton. That isn’t to say that Powers-Johnson isn’t a good fit, but Barton has the better build given his superior arm length and height.
The issue with Barton is that he hasn’t played a lot of center at college. He was Duke’s primary left tackle, but he lacks the length to be an effective tackle. Guard is always a possibility, but Barton has also been taking snaps at center during this process. He needs to refine his skills there, but I would argue that he has the higher potential of any of the centers in this class.
If this team decides to go after a center in the first round, Barton could be the guy. There is more projection here than Powers-Johnson, but the upside is significantly higher. While he didn’t run tests at the combine, his size and tape so far have to have the Steelers intrigued.