Why the Buccaneers' Offensive Line is Poised to Dominate This Season

Most football experts tend to agree that building a high-quality offense in the NFL starts and ends with the offensive line.

Based on his track record of prioritizing the trenches through the draft and free agency over the course of his time in Tampa Bay, it's safe to say that Buccaneers GM Jason Licht is one who abides by this philosophy.

Over the years, Licht has done a tremendous job of building strong units up front to ensure that his quarterbacks, whether it was Tom Brady in the early 2020s or Baker Mayfield now, have the protection they need to run the offensive game plans with limited interruptions.

Injuries Squandered a Promising Season in 2025

Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) is helped off the field by staff against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, Licht was unable to properly evaluate the quality of his group in 2025 because the Bucs' o-line was completely ravaged by injury. The most troublesome implication of that, of course, was that the entire offense struggled as a result.

Because of the revolving door up front, receivers had less time to get open, Mayfield had less time to operate and the running backs didn't have the same amount of daylight they were accustomed to the year prior.

Fast forward a year, and aside from some precautionary rest for All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs, the Buccaneers' offensive line is finally healthy and eager to re-establish itself as one of the league's best.

Reasons for Optimism

Graham Barton and Cody Mauc — Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Luke Goedeke (67) and guard Cody Mauch (69) leave the field after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Buccaneers' OL has more than just health working in their favor, though.

They have continuity.

Even if Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson weren't in the lineup for significant chunks of time last season, they were still in the building. They understand the protection scheme, they understand each other's playstyle and they know how to communicate with one another when things get muddy. This is a massive benefit for a group that is looking to re-establish itself as one of the league's elite OL units in 2026.

Adding even more optimism to this group's outlook for this season and beyond is the fact that all of the Bucs' starting offensive linemen have youth on their side. Ben Bredeson is the oldest starting offensive lineman, and he is still just 28 years old.

There's no question that both Graham Barton (24) and Cody Mauch (27) have plenty of room to grow as players. Each has just two full NFL seasons under their belt, and it would be shocking if either one of them didn't take a significant step forward this year.

Wirfs and Goedeke are both 27 years old, and despite being elite players at their respective positions, there's no reason to believe that they couldn't both continue to improve as they have in each season so far in their respective careers.

At 28, Bredeson is the oldest of the bunch, but he's got plenty of experience, positional versatility and, even if he's coming off an injury, he seems to have really hit his stride since joining the Kevin Carberry and the Bucs' offensive line room a few seasons ago.

The Buccaneers' OL Talent is No Secret

When it comes to evaluating offensive line play, at least from a media perspective, there is no one better than Brandon Thorn. Recently, Thorn unveiled his rankings for the top offensive linemen in the NFL heading into 2026 at each position.

Thorn clearly recognizes the talent that Licht has assembled along the offensive line in Tampa Bay.

In Thorn's opinion, Wirfs is the best LT in the NFL. Goedeke, meanwhile, was ranked as the fifth-best RT in the league. Bredeson, the lowest positional score of the Bucs' starters, was ranked the 21st best LG. Despite undertaking a steep learning curve after switching positions from college, Thorn already considers Barton to be the 11th-best center in the NFL. And lastly, Mauch, despite missing almost the entire 2025 season, is considered to be the seventh-best RG in football.

Thorn isn't the only one who recognizes the talent that the Bucs have up front, though. Pro Football Focus just published its team OL rankings this week, and the Buccaneers were graded as the third-best OL unit in the NFL heading into 2026.

"Injuries hurt the Buccaneers’ offensive line at points in 2025, but this is a really strong unit heading into the new season," they said. "Left tackle Tristan Wirfs set a career-high with a 92.7 PFF grade in 2025 and has yet to earn a PFF pass-blocking grade below 80.0 in a season. Opposite him, Luke Goedeke has improved throughout his career and didn’t allow a sack or hit on 416 pass-blocking snaps last year, while the return of Cody Mauch and the continued emergence of center Graham Barton give them the chance to be the best offensive line in football this season."

Top 10 Offensive Lines Ahead of the 2026 NFL Season💪

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— PFF (@PFF) August 13, 2026

Final Thoughts

There are many question marks surrounding the Buccaneers right now, who have a disgruntled defensive star and a quarterback who isn't happy with his contract situation. That being said, one of the best things the Bucs have going for them right now is the age, talent and continuity of their starting offensive line group.

If Wirfs, Bredeson, Barton, Mauch and Goedeke are all able to stay relatively healthy this season, not only could the Bucs have the best offensive line in football, but they would have a clear runway for a potentially prolific offensive season, which — in conjunction with what is expected to be a much improved defense — could very well catapult the Buccaneers into Super Bowl contention as early as this season.

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