Graham Barton Not Yet Proven For Some
July 23rd, 2026
Time to establish himself as a top-shelf center.
Most every analyst Joe reads or hears seems to agree with Joe: The Bucs, when healthy, have a damn fine offensive line. Maybe one of the best in the NFL.
Joe maintains, and has for months, that when healthy the Bucs have the No. 3 front line in the game.
However, Alex Blickle, typing for Aaron Schatz’s FTN 2026 Football Almanac, has one question mark for the line: third-year center Graham Barton.
Blickle wasn’t won over by Barton last year, but Blickle also believes Barton earned a mulligan.
The biggest question mark on the line is Barton at center. He did not play well in 2025, but it’s especially hard for a center to deal with so many different line combinations. He was even asked to play some left tackle early on when [Tristan] Wirfs was out.
Over the years talking to coaches, offensive linemen and NFL suits, they say the most important element of a line is consistency.
Line play, at least on offense, Joe has learned, is way more complicated than see him; hit him. There are constant adjustments and communication between linemen from the moment they get to the line until the ball is snapped.
And a lot of the consistency is each lineman pretty much has to have ESP or eyes in the back of his head knowing where his teammates are, so as not to shove a defender into another lineman and blow up protection, etc.
Not only was Barton playing out of (NFL) position at left tackle to start the season, he had a stiff on either side of him when Ben Bredeson got hurt. Right guard Cody Mauch was lost for the season in Week 2.
For background, Joe remembers going up to former Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard maybe halfway through training camp after a practice. Joe asked Grizzard for someone he thought was maybe being overlooked, a guy impressing.
Barton was that guy, Grizzard said, because he had improved so much from his rookie season and he looked like a new player in practice.
Joe guesses that all got blown up when late in worthless preseason, the Bucs decided to move Barton to left tackle until Tristan Wirfs returned. So maybe you could argue Barton’s season was all screwed up at that point, going forward.
July 23rd, 2026 at 7:15 am
If Carberry did not think highly of Barton, he would have never started in-place for Wirfs. Once Barton settles down and focuses on just playing center, he’ll be one of the best.
July 23rd, 2026 at 7:19 am
I want to live in a world as a Bucs fan where Graham Barton is our biggest concern
July 23rd, 2026 at 7:27 am
Was not a good draft pick by the Bucs! You don’t draft a C in the first round. Most starting Cs are drafted in rounds 3 or later. And Barton played less than 1 year of C in college and his inexperience has showed and slowed his development at the C position. Barton may end up being a good player but Bucs passed on good edge rushers and cbs to draft him!
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:05 am
Barton won me over when he moved to LT and played well. Not too many guys could have done that.
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:06 am
Ya need a center? Draft a center. Barton, like Marpet is better suited for guard. Get a real center, move Barton to guard.
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:12 am
Barton was a great draft pick lol….the kid can play all 3 position along the line lol…
imo, Bredenson is a more natural Center and Barton would be better suited for Guard….i think he takes a huge leap forward this year…who knows, im sure he was also playing injured that effected his play but never missed a start
GO BUCS!!!!
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:45 am
“Was not a good draft pick by the Bucs! You don’t draft a C in the first round.”
Well, there are good centers drafted in the first round-
Travis Fredrick Cowboys All Pro
Frank Rangow Detroit All PRo
Ryan Kelly Indy All Pro
Cameron Irving, Cesar Ruiz, and Garret Bradbury are other notable first rounders.
Barton being drafted in the first round doesn’t mean he will automatically fail.
Lately JBF has turned into the BUC “Gloom and Doom” board!
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:48 am
The kid had too much on his plate last year. Trying to play his position and trying to compensate for the guys on either side of him was not easy. This year, he can focus on his responsibilities and cohesion with the regular starters. Cincinnati is toast.
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:53 am
It will be interesting to see how Robinson will use and address play for his offensive line. Continuity it very important, so we have to wait on how he will handle it in 2026. Can’t imagine it getting any worse than last year. Looking forward to seeing a well coached offense with a healthy Bake.
July 23rd, 2026 at 8:55 am
jcscycles, you notice how they never actually say a player’s name? It’s always some mystery great pass rusher or corner we “should have taken”.
Kind of like how we would have won another Superbowl if we had taken that great unknown player instead of Kyle Trask.
July 23rd, 2026 at 9:03 am
I think he’s similar to Marpet in that he’s versatile and smart enough to play center, he could be dominant as a guard.
July 23rd, 2026 at 9:10 am
I think he handled last season pretty well for what he had to work with.
July 23rd, 2026 at 9:21 am
Drunk Bucs Fan Says:
July 23rd, 2026 at 7:19 am
I want to live in a world as a Bucs fan where Graham Barton is our biggest concern
___________________________
This! If Barton is the biggest problem we’ve got, we’re gonna be walking down Easy Street this year. Barton’s solid when he’s not stuck with guys on either side of him that were selling cars at Bill Currie Ford two weeks prior.
July 23rd, 2026 at 9:40 am
I’m a Barton fan – he moved to LT and played pretty darned good. He was stuck between two poor guards for much of the season. This article is great bulletin board material for him with these media ‘experts’ claiming Barton is trash.
July 23rd, 2026 at 9:43 am
Cohesion that’s a premiere Oline,Not plug in place…
July 23rd, 2026 at 10:06 am
He has to pick it up this year. Thus far, we’ve spent a #1 pick who hasn’t even lived up to the guy he replaced
July 23rd, 2026 at 10:56 am
He’s a LT, although he played center in college to fill in for injuries. I think for him to succeed he needs a lot of help at guard. He sure was on an island last year. There were times he was trying to block two rushers at the same time last year. Guards were having trouble with delayed rushes and stunts. Barton was not getting help. Think he will look a lot better this year, but he will never by a Ryan Jensen.
July 23rd, 2026 at 11:44 am
Pure genius to play roulette with the OL instead of keeping players in position to play to their strengths. Naa, let’s do musical chairs so absolutely nobody knows what they’re doing. Which is exactly what happened.
July 23rd, 2026 at 11:56 am
Nope!
He has not proven himself to be a top grade NFL center
He still is a encouraging developing center
July 23rd, 2026 at 12:04 pm
All of what you said Joe!
I look at it like… How many second year NFL centers could have pulled off moving out to tackle? Then having no real help on either side of him? Surprised he did as well as he did. Serioulsy… Jordan looked like he forgot the snap count half the time.
Go Bucs!
July 23rd, 2026 at 12:34 pm
THAT’S a helluva good point!
July 23rd, 2026 at 2:11 pm
No excuses this season! Better play = bigger pay ! Your teammates are relying on you !
July 23rd, 2026 at 3:14 pm
Year Three of Carberry too.
Year 1: Good
Year 2: Incomplete
Year 3: We will see — Lots of OL coaches do ok at first and then get exploited.
July 23rd, 2026 at 3:17 pm
@328 Thats what happens when a team is hit with injuries plug in place! ( sorry guys for me being capt obvious but some fans just need it)
July 23rd, 2026 at 3:25 pm
328 you need to get off team sports its obvious you need someone to blame,maybe tennis? Swimming maybe ,i would say boxing or mma but the way you whine your just not tough enuff