Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starter receives votes for best at position in NFL

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has done an incredible job of building through the draft over the last several years.

In Tampa Bay, 19 of their 22 starters on both sides of the ball are home-grown products, with just Baker Mayfield, Ben Bredeson and Haason Reddick the only outliers. The position Licht is perhaps most excited about is the offensive line.

After drafting Tristan Wirfs in the first round in 2020, Licht has poured resources into the position group. In 2022, he selected right tackle Luke Goedeke in the second round and followed that formula in 2023 with Cody Mauch. Licht dipped back into the first round last season to select center Graham Barton.

Wirfs is the highest-paid tackle in the league, has been a perennial Pro-Bowler and has been named to three All-Pro teams. Goedeke is quickly establishing himself as a top right tackle in the league and is in line for a massive contract extension and Barton looked like the future at center after a college career spent mostly at tackle.

Wirfs was voted as the best tackle in the league, and Goedeke garnered votes as well in an annual poll of scouts, coaches and executives by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. However, Mauch also received votes as one of the league's best interior offensive linemen.

Adjusting to the league, it wasn't always pretty for the 6'6" right guard as he made the transition from college left tackle to NFL right guard. However, he made tremendous strides in his sophomore season. Mauch has been lauded for his recovery ability, and according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 19 pressures on the year, bringing his sacks allowed total from eight as a rookie to just two in 2024.

Mauch is just scratching the surface of his play, really hitting his stride down the stretch, where he was one of the best guards in all of football. Where Mauch truly shined was in pass protection, finishing with a 77.2 grade per PFF, which was the eleventh best out of all guards. His 2.7% pressure rate was the sixth-lowest among all guards in the league and he finished eighth in run blocking with a 69.9 grade amongst players who played at least 80% of their team's snaps. Mauch accomplished that with a rookie tackle, converted to center next to him.

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