It’s a prospect who has been linked to the 49ers often during this draft cycle
With the NFL combine completed and free agency set to begin, the race to the NFL draft is in its stretch run. Team needs are clear, but free agency allows teams to address positions before the draft and clear up intentions for franchises before the big days in Detroit.
Visits and mock drafts have linked the 49ers to offensive linemen, defensive linemen, cornerbacks, and wide receivers.
A name that continues to pop up is left tackle Graham Barton from Duke.
Field Yates of ESPN gave his thoughts on Barton, who he has ranked as his number two offensive lineman in this draft class.
“Graham’s a really intriguing player. The guy that every time I watch him, I grow a little bit more enamored with him. He began his college career at Duke as a center, played there his true freshman season, and then spent three straight years as a left tackle. It’s not like he’s competing with a bunch of other likely future NFL players.
So, they’re going to take their best prospect and put him at the most important spot, which would be left tackle. But he’s got good length in terms of height, I should say. His arm length probably is the biggest one that keeps leading people back to the idea of him playing at guard or center. Truthfully, I really wish there was a category when we’re doing our draft rankings of just interior offensive linemen because if you told me Barton’s a center starting next year, I would say that absolutely tracks.”
Yates pointed to Barton’s true freshman season as a center in 2020, and why it’s possible Barton can be a Swiss army knife lineman playing all five positions in the NFL.
“He’s done it for a season, went back and watched him recently from that 2020 year, and you’re thinking to yourself, it’s three, four seasons ago, right? Like, how’s it going to look? Looked pretty good back then, too. So, for a kid who’s a true freshman playing in one of the best college football conferences has certainly stood the test of time, back then and into now.
So, as an interior offensive lineman, guard, or center, I think you could certainly make the case for him being, one of the 30 to 35 best players in the draft. And the beauty of Graham is that, even if it’s not one of those two spots, while I think those are his two clear-cut best spots, he has play-in-a-pinch ability at really all five positions.”
Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers focus on positional flexibility with all positions, making Barton such a fit for the 49ers.
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