Bucs RT Luke Goedeke.
When Lavonte David is the most underrated for the Bucs, well, that’s a high bar to reach.
But there is a guy on the Bucs offensive line that Joe thinks is fair to slap with the label, “underappreciated.”
The Bucs, many believe, have the deepest wide receiver room in the game. Is it their strength? Probably.
But not Gennaro Filice. The scribe for NFL.com is of the mind that the Bucs’ offensive line is so good, it is the straw that stirs the Bucs’ drink (skill position players).
And when looking at the Bucs’ offensive line, Filice thinks [the most underappreciated](https://www.nfl.com/news/most-underappreciated-nfl-players-top-candidate-for-each-nfc-team-entering-2025-season#:~:text=A%20second%2Dround%20pick%20in,Goedeke's%20a%20stout%20pass%20protector.) Bucs offensive lineman is none other than right tackle Luke Goedeke.
> While Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving and the receiving corps get most of the attention, Tampa Bay’s bedrock strength is the offensive line, which is bookended by a pair of 26-year-old tackles. Everyone knows about perennial Pro Bowler Tristan Wirfs, but Goedeke deserves more love. …
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> A second-round pick in 2022, Goedeke struggled as a rookie guard. But the Buccaneers switched him to right tackle for the 2023 campaign and haven’t looked back since. Though he can still cut down on the penalties, Goedeke’s a stout pass protector. And in the run game, he teams up with mauling RG Cody Mauch to blow open holes on the right side. With one year left on his rookie deal, Goedeke’s nearing a major payday.
Joe remembers — boy, does he remember — just a few years ago how Bucs fans weren’t just hollering, they were screaming for Goedeke to ride the pine. It wasn’t a crazy idea, though harsh for a rookie. Goedeke playing out of position did not help the former MAC player.
Joe spoke with a non-Bucs coach over cocktails one evening at the combine. He told Joe he thought Goedeke was done a disservice by the Bucs as a rookie.
The coach told Joe that right tackle was Goedeke’s spot. He said small-school offensive linemen often struggle when being put on the opposite side of the ball where they played in college.
Goedeke was given a spin at left guard as a rookie. The NFL monster is a different beast altogether from the MAC.
Then, the coach said, putting Goedeke at guard compounded Goedeke’s struggles.
So getting flipped back to right tackle not only was a smart thing to do, but the coach told Joe that allowed Goedeke to shine at his most natural position.
Joe thinks we have all seen the result of that. And now the Bucs may have the best bookends at tackle on the offensive line in the game.