PFF Mentions Buccaneers Among Most Improved Offensive Lines After Draft

Tampa Bay did good work to address the offensive line in the draft.

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive lineman Graham Barton / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht once again put together a strong class in the NFL Draft this past week, addressing multiple holes the team needed to fill. One of those positions of need came in the form of the offensive line, as the Bucs struggled to create much running room in the run game in 2023.

They addressed this offensive line need in the form of two offensive linemen in the 2024 draft, picking Duke's Graham Barton and UTEP's Elijah Klein.

The additions of what likely will turn out to be two interior linemen earned the Bucs praise and one of the "most improved offensive lines" following the draft by Pro Football Focus.

"The selection of Duke’s Graham Barton in the first round isn’t just a good move because of his excellent college career, during which he earned an 88.7 PFF grade over the past two seasons to rank fifth among FBS tackles. It's also a good move because of his versatility. Barton played center early in college and will likely play on the interior of the line for the Buccaneers; he is comfortable across the unit.

UTEP’s Elijah Klein, selected in the sixth round, wasn’t on the PFF big board but did earn a 93.5 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023."

Barton has a ton of versatility after playing all across the line during his collegiate career at Duke and has stood up against some of the top talent in the ACC. He does have shorter arms than you would want, but slotting into the guard position in Tampa Bay shouldn't allow that to become a large issue.

Klein wasn't as highly touted as Barton, but he did grade out well in 2023 following a questionable 2022 season. He projects as a backup center or guard at the next level and will provide depth along the Bucs' offensive line with a strong ability to protect the QB.

Hopefully with these two additions the Bucs' line will improve enough for them to become a much more well-balanced offense in 2024.

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

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