5 2024 first-rounders Seahawks should consider who won't replace Geno Smith
By Lee Vowell
Seattle could take guard Graham Barton, Duke
Graham Barton plays left tackle at Duke but most draft sites appear to think he is a better fit along the interior of the offensive line as he lacks really long arms. His height is fine as he is 6'5" and he weighs 315 pounds. So he could certainly add another 15 pounds of muscle to his frame and not lose any quickness along the interior.
He will have had plenty of experience in college as he is a three-year starter and plays on a Duke team that is fairly versatile offensively. Barton should be as pro-ready as almost any other guard/center coming out of college. He might just need a bit of time to learn the interior line spots in the NFL, but he is highly intelligent (he does go to Duke, after all) and should have no issues learning the spots.
The question is where to play Barton, and a lot of that depends on whether the Seahawks are able to re-sign left guard Damien Lewis. Lewis was graded, per Pro Football Focus (they make you pay for the site), among the best guards in the NFL in 2022, but this year he hasn't played as well.
Or maybe Barton right guard and rookie Anthony Bradford flips from right to left next year. Adding Barton and losing Evan Brown (assuming he is replaced by rookie Olu Oluwatimi next year) and Lewis means Seattle's offensive line stays really young but Barton would be as talented as any interior lineman Seattle would have.