Steelers' Center Prospect Graham Barton Gains Strong Endorsement As 'Generational Type Player'

The Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a true center on the roster. Nate Herbig is currently on top of the depth chart at the position, but he does not have much experience playing it and will probably not stay there. The fan base and most NFL observers expect Omar Khan and Andy Weidl to select Mike Tomlin's 2024 starting center on Day 1 or Day 2 of the NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday.

Since the Steelers parted ways with Mason Cole after a subpar 2023 season, Pittsburgh has been attached to every top center free agent and draft prospect. The first month and a half of free agency came and went, and other than the seriously injured former Miami Dolphins center, Connor Williams, that well seems dry. Jackson Powers-Johnson was the belle of the ball for most of the mock draft period, but began to slip in the last month. Zach Frazier from West Virginia was the next fan infatuation, but has now been replaced by the versatile Graham Barton. 

On Wednesday, Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined The Steve Jones Show to discuss his thoughts on what he and many others consider the number one need in Pittsburgh. Dulac revealed that Barton may have taken the lead internally, at least in some camps with the organization. 

"You need a starting center, and there aren't many of them out there," Dulac began. "I'm not sure any of the starting centers will be there at 51, so you better take one at 20. You better have a grade at one on 20 and I believe they do with the guy from Duke. It has been said to me by someone in the organization who would know that Graham Barton is a generational type player."

Barton has catapulted up the draft board because of his versatility and his performance at his Pro Day. Arthur Smith was in attendance for the Steelers, but Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin were not. In recent years, that has been a key indicator of Pittsburgh's first-round selection. Khan is difficult to predict, and he does business differently than his predecessors. It will be interesting to see if he breaks the precedent. Dulac, for his part, thinks they should. 

"If that is what you think, then you take a generational type player," Dulac said. "Those types of players are Pro Bowl players. Those guys are guys you build your line around for 10 years, like Maurkice Pouncey. You took Maurkice Pouncey at 18, and there is nothing wrong with taking that type of player at 20 if you believe in him. If he is what they think he is, then to me, why would you pass him up? That is your number one need."

The Steelers selected Maurkice Pouncey with the 18th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. That is the highest anyone has chosen a center in the 21st century, and Pouncey is the only center that the Steelers have selected in the first round in 87 years of NFL Drafts. He was a two-year starter for the Florida Gators. Pouncey won a National Championship, was selected as a First Team All-American, won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center, and went on to have what likely will be a Hall of Fame career for Pittsburgh. 

Barton has not played the center position since he was a freshman, and expectations may be careening out of control at this point in the draft process. His versatility has wowed scouts during the process, and the fact that he played all over the offensive line for Duke is impressive. The Steelers have demonstrated in recent years that they covet this trait in their linemen. 

"They have starters at every position, but center," Dulac concluded. "All they have on the roster right now are guys who are capable of being backups. It's why to me, to pass up that opportunity, and yeah, the other two guys are Zach Frazier from West Virginia and Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon. I don't think they have those two guys rated as highly as they do Graham Barton."

The clock is ticking for Khan, Weidl, and Tomlin, and whoever they choose in the 2024 NFL Draft to fill the current hole in the middle of the offensive line is likely going to be revealed over the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Barton is taking his turn as the top-rated center at the ideal time, but the guessing stops at 8 pm ET Thursday. 

Steelers' Omar Khan And Mike Tomlin Only Attended Four Pro Days In Preparation For The 2024 NFL Draft

Khan and Tomlin attended only four Pro Days in 2024, the fewest by a general manager and head coach in recent years. They were together at the Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Michigan workouts. It should be noted that the only center prospects in the 2024 draft that Tomlin and Khan watched in person during their Pro Day were Sedrick Van Pran from Georgia and Drake Nugent from Michigan.

It will be interesting to see how much Khan will rely on Weidl and the scouting department when he makes his first selection. Breaking tradition and selecting someone whose Pro Day Tomlin and Khan did not attend could reveal just how much control Weidl has over the process.