Could Graham Barton be the missing piece of the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line?
Since the start of free agency, the Miami Dolphins have signed over a dozen new players, yet only Aaron Brewer and Jack Driscoll are offensive lineman. General manager Chris Grier has addressed numerous needs, but the offensive line remains a huge worry.
The Dolphins have almost $10 million in salary cap room and are looking for wide receiver No. 3 alternatives, but ESPN football expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes the draft is the best approach to construct Miami’s line.
In his third and most recent mock draft, Kiper predicted that the Dolphins would select Duke inside offensive lineman Graham Barton in the first round.
“Barton played mostly left tackle in college, but he has the traits to move inside and command the game,” Kiper said in a blog post on Tuesday. “Miami ranked 31st in pass block win rate (49.2%) last season, so it has to improve.”
Kiper linked Barton with the Dolphins for the second time in a row, and Oregon interior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson also avoided the first round.
“I debated between Barton and Jackson Powers-Johnson, my other top-ranked center, but Barton would be getting more first-round buzz if he hadn’t missed a few games to lower-body injuries,” Kiper said in a Feb. 28 letter.
In his first mock draft on Jan. 23, he chose Washington guard Troy Fautanu as Miami’s first choice. Nonetheless, Kiper believed neither Barton nor Powers-Johnson were first-round picks in January.
The Dolphins re-signed Isaiah Wynn earlier this week, and Brewer is expected to be the team’s opening-day center. Keep in mind that the Dolphins started nearly 15 different offensive lines in 2023, and there can never be enough depth in the trenches.
