Although he's only started a total of 16 NFL games, Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting right tackle, Luke Goedeke, has already been through the ringer.
Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft (57th overall) out of Central Michigan, Buccaneers' GM, Jason Licht, felt compelled to trade up in order to make sure he got his guy.
Following the sudden retirement of All-Pro left tackle, Ali Marpet, in what would end up being Tom Brady's final season in the NFL, Goedeke was thrown into the fire immediately as a rookie.
Not just in terms of playing time, but positionally as well. Goedeke played tackle for the Chippewas in college, but he was asked to switch positions as soon as he joined the Bucs in order to fill Marpet's vacant spot at left guard.
Big shoes to fill.
Goedeke struggled at left guard as a rookie. Sandwiched between an underperforming Donovan Smith at left tackle, and Robert Hainsey at center — who was switching positions himself in order to fill in for the injured Ryan Jensen — the Bucs' OL was collectively a disaster, as they were ultimately forced to try and fit square pegs into round holes throughout the season.
When it was all said and done, Goedeke had taken 457 snaps at left guard, registering an offensive rating of just 43.7 by Pro Football Focus.
The Buccaneers' struggles on offense couldn't be solely attributed to the many moving pieces along the offensive line, though. Their play-calling was atrocious, their run game nonexistent, and the positive vibes surrounding the team were decaying.
Frustration amongst the fanbase was palpable throughout the season. And although there was a lot of finger-pointing to go around... Luke Goedeke was a common target.
But now, as we look back on how things have transpired since then, the argument could be made that Luke Goedeke wasn't a bad player, but simply a victim of circumstance.
Goedeke has been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. In fact, since he's switched positions, he's been one of their best players.
When it was announced during the offseason that All-World tackle, Tristan Wirfs, would be moving over to the left side... the door was left open for Goedeke to return to his more natural position at right tackle.
Which is exactly what happened.
Although a lot of skeptics initially expressed concern about Goedeke occupying one of the starting positions for this new-look Bucs' offensive line, we're now through 9 weeks of the 2023 NFL season, and the results of that move have been nothing short of astounding.
The results speak for themselves. And so far, the results tell a clear story, with the plot of that story being that second-year offensive lineman, Luke Goedeke, isn't just on track to become a serviceable NFL tackle... but is already a very good one.
So far this season, Luke Goedeke has a very impressive 76.8 overall grade from PFF. Not only that, but he's grading out way above average in both run blocking (78.2) and pass protection (76.7).
For reference, Lane Johnson, who is unanimously viewed as the most dominant right tackle in the NFL, has an overall grade of 79.7.
It's important to note that PFF grades don't tell the whole story. But they do provide valuable data, which is best utilized when considered in addition to the eye test (watching the tape) to determine how effective a player has been.
In the case of Luke Goedeke, both of those angles tell the same story. As the 5th best right tackle in the NFL according to the PFF, and a consistently dominant performer when you throw on the tape, there's no question that Luke Goedeke is quickly developing into one of the best right tackles in the league, in just his second season.
When you pair his performance with Tristan Wirfs (81.0 PFF grade so far in 2023) it becomes clear that despite some issues along the interior — magnified most clearly in the run game — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the best tackle pairings in the entire NFL.
Based on their age, attitudes, and overall career trajectory, I wouldn't expect that to change any time soon.
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