Licht said the Bucs’ personnel professionals had their “fingers crossed” in the draft room hoping that Barton would fall to the 26th pick. The draft started with a record 14 offensive players before the Indianapolis Colts took UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu 15th, and then there were three more offensive linemen taking in the next 10 picks. The Dallas Cowboys traded down from the 24th pick, two spots before the Bucs, which was a relief in Tampa Bay’s draft room. Getting stronger up front was a major priority for the Buccaneers, who wondered if the Cowboys might be thinking the same thing.
“The interior offensive line in general, we’re trying to get more physical,” said Licht. “We’re really happy with the guys that we have, we know they’re getting better as well, but this was something that [Head Coach] Todd and I had talked about since the middle of last year, something that we needed to improve.”
Robert Hainsey, a third-round pick in 2021, has started the past two seasons at center after Jensen suffered what proved to be a season-ending injury in training camp in 2022. Like Barton, Hainsey played tackle in college but is versatile enough to play at several positions. Barton won’t be handed the center job, but if he wins it Hainsey would be one of the candidates to play at the open left guard position. Other candidates include recent free agency signings Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson.
“I see it as a good competition,” said Licht. “We’ve got Sua, and we’ve got Bredeson and you mentioned Hainsey. We’ve got some guys who were with us last year, so it’s going to be a good competition.”
