Buccaneers GM Jason Licht On Duke First Rounder Graham Barton: "We Had Him Targeted"

Jason Licht had an eye out for Tampa Bay's newest Buccaneer and he was able to grab him.

Mar 1, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht during the NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed interior offensive line help, and they got it in Duke interior offensive lineman Graham Barton.

The Bucs had a dire need on the inside, and it was a position many wanted to them to attack in the draft. General manager Jason Licht knew this, too, and he had his eye on Barton long before he turned in the pick on Thursday.

"We had him targeted," Licht told media on Friday. "To be honest with you, the whole time we were crossing our fingers hoping he’d make it to us and he did so that’s good."

Barton will join the Bucs line having played tackle in college, but he was expected to move inside at the next level. Licht agrees, and when asked just where he sees Barton, he affirmed that Tampa Bay would be bringing him inside to center.

"He played center his freshman year, COVID year, when there was an injury and they threw him in there really without any practice during training camp and all that stuff at center," Licht said. "[He] went in there and really played lights out, we thought, center."

And center he will play. That would leave current Bucs center Robert Hainsey out of a job there, though Licht did mention that Hainsey could compete at his natural position of guard for the 2024 season.

And while Licht insinuated he would have to compete for the center job, he drew comparisons to a number of different former Buccaneers players — comparisons that fans are sure to appriciate.

"He reminded me, and a lot of us, of Ali [Marpet]," Licht said. "He’s got some Ryan Jensen in him... and a personality of Tristan Wirfs. So, some pretty good lab work there."

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook