Will Buccaneers' Offensive-Line Live Up To Preseason Ranking?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started off preseason on a high note, beating the New York Jets 24-16 on Saturday.

A pick-6 from Ayden Garnes and a rushing touchdown from Jalon Daniels helped push the Bucs over the top, while the offensive line and defensive front both held strong.

Tampa's offensive line is one unit that should see major improvements from last season, as players return from injury and return to their natural positions.

On Wednesday, Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness released his rankings of each offensive line unit in the NFL, with Tampa coming in at No. 3.

"Injuries hurt the Buccaneers’ offensive line at points in 2025, but this is a really strong unit heading into the new season," McGuiness wrote.

He of course mentioned Tristan Wirfs, a two-time All-Pro, as the key to the success of the group, noting his 92.7 PFF Grade (second among 89 qualified offensive tackles) last year.

With the NFL wrapping up its 2026 NFL Top 100, Wirfs came in week ago at a surprisingly low mark, ranking as the No. 52 player in the NFL.

But, he remains the constant force on Tampa's line, giving the team the ability to play either tackle position.

Recently, Roundtable's Jason Klingensmith wrote about Wirfs, who was ranked ninth out of the top-20 true franchise players in the NFL by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.

Of the eight players ranked ahead of Wirfs, seven were quarterbacks, with the lone non-QB being Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was listed just ahead of the Bucs star at No. 8.

Opposite of Wirfs is Luke Goedeke, who didn't allow a sack or hit on 416 consecutive pass plays last year.

Goedeke's health will be crucial to keeping the line stable, as he returns from a severe foot injury suffered early in last season.

So far, he has looked great in training camp, with rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. complimenting him earlier this week.

The Bucs' first rounder mentioned starting guard Luke Goedeke as a player he has enjoyed battling with, saying he "doesn't take it for granted" to play against "one of the best in the game."

2023 second round pick Cody Mauch will also be returning from injury, lining up on the interior alongside Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton.

Barton moved around a lot last season due to Mauch and Goedeke missing time, but now returns to his primary position.

Having young talents on the interior and established franchise pieces manning the tackles should mean success for the Bucs in the run game and pass protection.

But, keeping them healthy is a concern.

Expect Tampa to cycle in players like Benjamin Chukwuma, Justin Skule, and Elijah Klein to keep the starters fresh.