Slivon’s Slant: Inside The 2026 Bucs Offensive Line Room

Running behind No. 78 remains one of the simplest paths to offensive success. He is a bully along the offensive line and at the line of scrimmage, playing every bit like his 6-foot-5, 320-pound frame would indicate (he is even a bit larger than that listed playing weight). The offense can trust putting him on an island, knowing he will find ways to survive even against the best pass rushers in the game.

When it comes to his athleticism, everyone knows Wirfs can jump out of the pool. He similarly springs to the next level to take on defensive assignments and can push forward or pull to the sideline to create running lanes.

There are only so many ways to describe his greatness, but no matter how it is said, Wirfs still feels underappreciated. For all the headlines generated by Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, the offense’s best player remains the one lining up in the trenches. Inked to a record-setting five-year, $140.63 million contract back in the summer of 2024, Wirfs is not going anywhere. He is locked in place as Tampa Bay’s blindside protector and team captain for the long haul. Appreciate every second, because players like him do not come around too often.

Blue-Collar Bulwark: Ben Bredeson

Ben Bredeson is not a name brought up much discussing the Bucs offensive line. If the group is playing at its full potential, Bredeson is the weak link compared to the other starters. Still, if he is the weak link, that speaks to how well the rest of the offensive line is playing. The seven-year veteran has found a home in Tampa Bay, fitting right in with the culture of the rest of the room. It is a group that has fun out there while displaying a Midwest, blue-collar mentality on the football field.

Bredeson has held down the left guard spot for the team since signing as a free agent in 2024, shoring up a spot that was a significant question mark. He quickly proved to be an upgrade over Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie, who held down the position the year before. Bredeson is not a liability at the position, proving capable of doing his job and what is asked. For an offensive lineman, anonymity often means consistency.

That was on display most at the start of last season, when he moved to center while Graham Barton kicked to left tackle when Tristan Wirfs was recovering from an offseason procedure and held it down without much fanfare. He is a gritty, throwback player and enjoys the physicality in the trenches. That has a unique role for Tampa Bay’s scheme, even if that does not garner any headlines.

Command Center: Graham Barton

Graham Barton is not the most physically imposing center in the NFL, as he is listed at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds. While Barton has been tested by bigger defensive lineman since entering the league, he is a steadying presence upfront as the key communicator and command center. A Duke graduate, he brings every bit of the cerebral qualities demanded from the pivot. That is what made him so highly coveted by the Bucs, who drafted him in the first round in 2024. Primarily a left tackle in college, he has kicked inside at the next level, spending the past two seasons developing and understanding what is expected of him.

What works to Barton’s advantage is his springy athleticism, which is on display when he climbs to the next level on running plays and is the first one to the sideline on screen passes. The athleticism is obvious, but Barton still has to prove he can consistently anchor against the league’s biggest interior defenders. Understandably, he has had growing pains along the way, but he possesses a stable floor and high ceiling.

The Bucs did not draft Barton in the first round to be merely competent, though. They drafted him to become one of the NFL’s better centers, and 2026 feels like the season that will reveal whether that ceiling is realistic. Recent offseasons have given him a crash course lining in front of nose tackle Vita Vea, and this could be the year that he can ascend if the rest of the offensive line holds up health-wise.

Mauling Menace: Cody Mauch

Cody Mauch’s presence was missed more along the offensive line as last season progressed. After suffering a season-ending knee injury during the team’s Week 2 win over the Texans, the Bucs trotted out makeshift offensive line combinations that lacked Mauch’s mauling playstyle.

He has a fun-loving, easygoing demeanor off the field that ingratiated him to the fanbase, but he is all business and plays with a mean streak once the helmet is on. That is evidenced by how he plays to and through the whistle, pancaking anyone in his path. It took time for him to reach that level after a trying rookie year, but he settled in and graded out as a top 20 offensive guard at either spot in 2024.

Fully healthy and adding on more size before this season, plugging Mauch back in will be a noticeable upgrade from last year. The right side of the offensive line will be completely shored up, and in a contract year, I would expect No. 69 to play his heart out for a second contract in Tampa Bay. Even if Mauch settles into being a slightly above-average right guard, that is all he needs to be. I expect him to be an anchor on passing downs and drive back his matchup in the run game. A bigger and better Mauch will be welcomed back with open arms.

Battle-Tested Bookend: Luke Goedeke

After it appeared unlikely Luke Goedeke would get a second contract with the Bucs, his career took a 180 in a positive direction moving to right tackle. Goedeke has made that spot his home, developing into a solid bookend on the opposite side of Tristan Wirfs. It was a bold move by the team looking back kicking an All-Pro right tackle out of his spot to make room for “Luke the Lifter,” but the move has paid off handsomely. His fiery, trash-talking personality is a perfect fit for the position, and it has made for some hilarious mic’d up moments.

Goedeke has become an immovable force for opposing edge rushers to get by, and I would argue he is the offense’s most underrated player. His rise has not been talked about enough, as he has a case for being a top five right tackle in the league. The Bucs invested heavily in his abilities, signing him to four-year, $90 million deal last September.

If there is one thing that concerns me most about Goedeke’s game, it would be his durability. He has missed 10 games over the past two seasons after dealing with a concussion in 2024 and a leg injury that landed him on injured reserve in 2025. Staying healthy and playing 17 games would be a big boost and make the group that much better.

Reserve Roadblocks: Ben Chukwuma and Justin Skule

Injuries to Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke in 2025 opened the door for Ben Chukwuma to see the field earlier than expected. Despite his relative newness to the game of football, Chukwuma handled his first two NFL starts admirably in 2025. He fared well by first locking up Saints pass rusher Chase Young and then had a solid encore three weeks later against Bradley Chubb. Those were tough draws for “Chuks,” but it did not come out of left field, either.

After putting together an impressive training camp and preseason, it was only a matter of time before he worked his way into the swing tackle picture, beating out Charlie Heck for playing time. Heading into 2026, he has an unfair designation of being someone no fan wants to see, as that would mean Tristan Wirfs is out of the game. Still, Chukwuma has a ton of potential to stick around in Tampa Bay.

Justin Skule has returned to the Bucs after a one-season cameo with the Vikings. It was hard to blame Skule for jumping at the chance at more playing time in Minnesota, especially after he had a solid first tenure in red and pewter. He was a stabilizing force at right tackle in 2024 when Goedeke missed time, settling in well after his first start against Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions.

One can expect Chukwuma to be the backup left tackle and Skule to be the backup right tackle this coming season, and that is the biggest difference between the 2024 and 2026 offensive lines. Between them, Tampa Bay has two backup tackles it trusts if injuries strike.

Interior Insurance: Dan Feeney, Billy Schrauth, and Elijah Klein

With Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch at full health after suffering season-ending injuries, the interior offensive line is a lot stronger. That will serve the entire offense well, but should injuries arise, further insurance has been added. Dan Feeney was re-signed to provide veteran depth, as he started 10 games in 2025 and has played in 132 games in his career. Billy Schrauth was an intriguing addition in the fifth round, as he slipped a bit due to injuries he suffered at Notre Dame.

Even with that, he is projected to be a better option than Elijah Klein, the 2024 sixth-round pick who remains on the roster. After profiling as a promising developmental piece, time is running out for Klein to stick. His time to shine was when injuries popped up, but it was a statement that Tampa Bay preferred to trot out Feeney and Michael Jordan over him. As someone who can also handle center duties, that is another path to him making the team.

Closing Slant

Overall, the Bucs have a very talented offensive line, if injuries do not get in the way. They hampered the group and kept them from being the same frontline that was a catalyst for the unit’s success in 2024. Anchored by two talented bookend tackles, it will be hard for opposing edge rushers to collapse the pocket. The interior offensive line will be much improved compared to last year, while the center position is manned by a promising player yet to hit his ceiling. More than any position group on the roster, the offensive line reflects general manager Jason Licht at his best as a roster builder.

Anything less than a top five finish from this offensive line would be a disappointment. My slant on this group? The Bucs’ offense will go only as far as its offensive line takes it. After the retirements of Ali Marpet and Ryan Jensen, Tampa Bay spent years searching for answers along the offensive line. Now, the challenge is not talent — it is keeping the group healthy long enough to prove it.