The Buccaneers have one of the NFL’s best tackle pairings, and a new ranking says it plainly.
Gilbert Manzano of SI.com recently stacked up the league’s top five tackle duos heading into 2026, and Tampa Bay landed near the top. Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke came in at No. 3, just behind the Broncos and 49ers.
That placement says plenty about how far this group has come under general manager Jason Licht. In a league where dependable offensive tackle play is gold, Tampa Bay has two of them - and both were drafted by Licht and developed in-house.
Wirfs, of course, is the headliner. Manzano pointed to a piece of history that helps explain why he’s viewed so highly: “This accomplishment alone explains why Wirfs is considered one of the league’s 20 best players: He’s the only player ever to be named a first-team All-Pro as a right and left tackle by the Associated Press,” Manzano wrote.
Wirfs helped the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in his rookie year in 2020, and he’s now giving Baker Mayfield elite protection. Last season, Pro Football Focus gave Wirfs a top-five grade in both pass blocking and run blocking.
Goedeke has built his own case, even if he doesn’t have Wirfs’ trophy case. Since the Buccaneers shifted the 2022 second-round pick from left guard to right tackle in his second season, he’s been a steady presence on the edge.
That move also triggered Wirfs’ positional change. Manzano wrote, “Goedeke doesn’t have the individual accolades like Wirfs, but he’s been a dependable starter since the Buccaneers moved the 2022 second-round pick from left guard to right tackle in his second season, which prompted Wirfs’s positional change," Manzano wrote.
"The shuffling literally paid off when Goedeke was rewarded with a four-year, $90 million contract extension in ’25."
Only two teams finished ahead of Tampa Bay in the ranking: the Broncos at No. 2 with Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, and the 49ers at No. 1 with Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz. The Eagles and Bills completed the top five.
Wirfs and Goedeke are both 27, which makes the Buccaneers’ position even more impressive. Tampa Bay isn’t just strong at tackle right now - it has one of the league’s best young tandems at one of football’s most important spots.
In Other News...
Mac Jones Had A Funny Take On Tom Bradys Bucs Return
Mac Jones still remembers the buildup to that October 3, 2021 matchup at Gillette Stadium, when the Patriots hosted Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in one of the most anticipated regular-season games in recent memory. The atmosphere was electric, and the media attention around Brady facing Bill Belichick again made it feel bigger than a typical Sunday, with every snap carrying a little extra weight for everyone in the building.
Jones handled the stage well enough, completing 31 of 40 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but the night belonged to Tampa Bay in the end. The Buccaneers left with a 19-17 win, and the game closed with a tense finish that fit the mood of the whole evening, the kind of result that kept the Brady return story lingering long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans May Not Like Where This QB Talk Is Heading
The Buccaneers quarterback conversation is starting to look a little more complicated than it did a few months ago. Baker Mayfield is heading into a contract year without a long-term extension in place, and Tampa Bay still has not publicly locked itself into anything beyond this season, which naturally keeps the door open to a future move under center.
That is why a recent mock draft from Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated caught attention, even if it was only a projection. The idea of Tampa Bay using draft capital on a quarterback would not necessarily mean a clean break from Mayfield, but it would signal the front office is at least keeping a hedge in play, whether as insurance or as a developmental option if the contract situation drags on. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Hit With Brutal Offseason Verdict After Collapse And Key Exit
The Buccaneers offseason evaluation has a harsh edge to it after a finish that unraveled badly down the stretch. Tampa Bay went 2-7 after the bye, blew the NFC South, and left enough doubt behind that Frank Schwab slotted the club 22nd in his offseason power rankings, pointing to the historic collapse as the biggest reason for the drop.
The personnel losses only deepen the concern, with Jamel Dean gone and Lavonte David retired, leaving the roster thinner in spots that mattered most. Even so, Schwabs view is not entirely bleak for Tampa Bay, since he still thinks the Bucs can reclaim the division in 2026 if the core comes together, with Bucky Irvings health and explosiveness looming as one of the bigger questions hanging over the team. [Read more 🡒]