Versatile Graham Barton Can Help The Dolphins One Day 1
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins 2023 season didn’t end the way Dolphins fans or the organization had hoped. After starting the season 9-3 and in firm control of the division, they folded down the stretch and stumbled to a 2nd place finish inn the AFC East.
A lot of folks will point to the offensive line injuries and inadequate play as one of the reasons for the collapse. At first glance you would say the Dolphins offensive line played well based on the stats. Taking a deeper dive, a lot of the numbers came against teams that weren’t very good, or in blowout losses when the numbers didn’t factor into the teams ability to compete that day.
Upgrades on the o-line are paramount, but where do you start.There seem to be a plethora of offensive tackles available in the 20224 NFL draft. But I think the Dolphins should go a different route and take a versatile guy that can play wherever you need him from day one. That guy would be Graham Barton.
While at Duke, he excelled at playing left tackle. He was more than adequate in the run game because his outstanding feet had him in the right position to road grade. He has a mean streak and plays very physically in the ground game. But his pass protection is where he really shined. As the blindside protector of former quarterback Riley Skinner (now at Notre Dame), He battled through injuries in the 2023 to be one of the best PFF rated tackles in college football.
Now the versatility comes in because as a freshman he played center. Most scouts have projected his best position in the NFL to be center. He has the smarts, power and athleticism to be an outstanding center.
He can also play guard at the next level. But the more intriguing situation may be that he could take over for Terron Armstead next season who has been plagued with injuries much of his time in Miami. Even with the missed time, Armstead has still been one of the best left tackles in football making two Pro Bowls while with the Dolphins.
Armstead restructured his contract to give the Dolphins some cap relief, which ensures he will be the starter next season. But for all intents and purposes, this will be his last year with the organization. So Barton can take over that spot if that’s the route the Dolphins choose to go.
Will the Dolphins choose to bolster the offensive line through the draft? I think that’s almost certain. Where the choose to do so is the key. If they want to grab Barton, the #21 position is where they need to do so because he won’t be around for much longer after that selection.
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