The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to address a number of issues throughout their offense through the NFL Draft, but one necessity in the center of the offensive line, at least in the opinion of a team insider, is more important than the others.
In an interview with the Under Review Podcast on Connect FM, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette stated that he thought the Steelers will select former Duke interior offensive lineman Graham Barton, a rapidly developing talent, with their first pick at pick No. 20 in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“The only thing I will say is, because they can’t wait to the second round because none of those guys that they like will be there, the centers,” Dulac stated. Therefore, the only way it won’t be a center in the first round is if they trade to advance to the second round, where they believe they can acquire one of the centers they like, prior to the draft or the start of the first round. I anticipate that they will select a center and likely the Duke player because they are in dire need of one and cannot afford to wait.”
Barton—also known as “the guy from Duke”—is seen as a late first-round selection and can play several positions on the interior of the line. All of that makes him a strong contender for the Steelers this season, who are in desperate need of a center to fill the vacancy. Barton weighs 314 pounds and is 6’5”. Throughout his 40-year career, he has started 39 games for the Blue Devils, winning two All-ACC and All-American titles in 2022 and 2023.
Even though an improvement would be desirable, Dulac thinks the Steelers would target a center rather than an offensive tackle because they have a solid starting tackle in place with veteran Dan Moore Jr. still under contract.
