No position on the Buccaneers’ roster will be as closely scrutinized at this year’s training camp as the offensive line. Last season, the interior trio in particular was the offense’s Achilles heel, failing to consistently pass protect or run block in virtually any context. Leveraging most any available talent acquisition mechanism this offseason, the Bucs are prepared to remake their interior line, which will be put to test in camp.
The guard and center positions in Tampa Bay were collectively among the worst in the NFL last season. Rookie Cody Mauch was a fish out of water transitioning from playing tackle at D-1AA North Dakota State to guard in the NFL. He simply did not have the requisite size and strength to play in the NFL, at least not yet.
Mauch was always going to be a long-term project. The Bucs bet on his upside while accepting he was still very early in his development as an offensive lineman. The key will be Mauch’s year to year growth. He just needs to show up to training camp this year bigger and stronger.
The other two interior spots will see the most change at camp. The Bucs drafted Graham Barton in the first round with the intention that he would be their new center going forward. Barton is major talent upgrade over Robert Hainsey. While both are converted college tackles, Barton is simply bigger, stronger and more athletic (via Relative Athletic Score):
Barton will have his struggles in training camp. He is still a rookie after all, but there will be some expectation that he provides a rapid upgrade to the offensive line.
The left guard position has been in flux ever since Ali Marpet unexpectedly retired in 2022. The Bucs have yet to get a full season out of any one player at the position in the last two seasons. This year, they went back to the drawing board, relying entirely on free agency to assemble a competition for the job.
Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta are both experienced offensive linemen, though neither has much of a history worth celebrating. Bredeson was the Giants’ only starter to last at least 16 games, but on arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL last season, that distinction is not necessarily a positive.
Opeta played both guard positions for Philadelphia last season. He had his moments but was largely inconsistent. Bredeson’s full season of experience and overall size will likely put him over Opeta during camp.
The left guard position is the only one where there may be some surprises in the depth chart heading into the season. Bredeson and Opeta’s lack of upside leaves a small window for some of the Bucs’ developmental players to sneak in with a strong impression. 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein is largely a developmental prospect, but his strength and run blocking could help him threaten the starting lineup.
It is important to distinguish where the problems lie on Tampa Bay’s offensive line because the Bucs may actually have one of the best offensive tackle duos in the NFL. While last season began with uncertainty and trepidation at the tackle positions, the Bucs’ gambles in training camp ultimately paid off.
Despite history and his own anxieties working against him, Tristan Wirfs’ transition from right to left tackle last year was seamless, establishing himself among the best left tackles in the NFL. He earned Pro Football Focus’ second-highest pass blocking grade, behind only Tyron Smith who played 76% as many snaps as Wirfs. Another offseason and training camp at left tackle could push Wirfs over the threshold as the NFL’s premiere pass blocker.
The bigger surprise was the emergence of Luke Goedeke as not only a viable right tackle but a truly reliable one. Goedeke’s disastrous rookie year at left guard left many doubts about his future in the NFL. Moving him back to his college position at right tackle was an apparent panacea as he was better able to leverage his agile feet in pass protection.
Goedeke is entering a pivotal third year in the NFL, which is often when offensive linemen make a serious jump in their development. The main thing to watch during camp will be his discipline. Goedeke led the team in penalties (10) last year, including eight holding penalties. Cleaning up his technique might garner him wider recognition as one of the NFL’s better right tackles this season.