It took almost three hours, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasted no time in making their selection at No. 26 when the time came.
A run on quarterbacks early and defensive players midway through helped Graham Barton fall right into Tampa Bay's lap late in the first round. Barton was expected to be off the board by the time the Bucs picked, which is why Jackson Powers-Johnson was such a popular pick in most mocks, but that's not what ended up happening.
Barton was there when the Bucs were on the clock but he wasn't on the board for long.
Rebuilding the offensive line was a key thing that needed to happen at some point this offseason and it made the most sense to do it in the draft. Barton coming off the board as Tampa Bay's first pick is a big step in the right direction, and it starts to piece together a new-look line that is already better than it was this morning.
Updated Buccaneers depth chart after drafting Graham Barton in Round 1
Here's a look at the Buccaneers offensive line depth now that Graham Barton has entered the picture:
LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tristan Wirfs | Ben Bredeson | Graham Barton | Cody Mauch | Luke Godeke |
Justin Skule | Luke Haggard | Robert Hainsey | Sua Opeta | Brandon Walton |
Logan Stenberg | Silas Dzansi |
Barton projects to be the starting center, which is why the Bucs spent a first round pick on him. Robert Hainsey couldn't properly fill the shoes left by Ryan Jensen last season, but he probably has a place on the depth chart as an extra guy to move around.
Outside of Barton, the offensive line looks pretty good on paper. There's still a need to address some guard depth, and it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Tampa Bay double-dip on linemen and grab someone like Mason McCormick or Cooper Beebe on Day 2.
Ben Bredeson is fine, but he projects as more of a depth piece than a starting guard. He'll get his chanc to prove otherwise, especially if it's a mid-round player challenging him but the end result could be a vastly improved line for the Bucs beyond just the starters.
That's the key here. Tampa Bay has prided itself on depth but hasn't double that with talent. Now they have a chance to do that and Barton is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much better the Bucs' offensive line can be next season.
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