What The Bucs Have At Offensive Tackle

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs currently sport one of the best offensive tackle tandems in the league. Tristan Wirfs successfully switched from the right side to the left last season and continued to play at an All-Pro level. He enters 2024 on his fifth-year option and he and the Bucs are currently working on an extension that will likely make him the highest paid offensive lineman in all of football.

Opposite Wirfs is Luke Goedeke on the right side. Goedeke followed up an atrocious rookie year at left guard with a surprisingly above average campaign at his natural position. Having the space to move on his natural side made all the difference for the young Goedeke. With the upcoming extension for Wirfs, the Bucs are set at starter for their offensive bookends.

Behind the starters the Bucs re-signed veteran tackle Justin Skule. Skule, who has starter experience, is an athletic run blocker who has trouble anchoring and with technique in pass protection. He occupies the extra lineman role as well as primary backup for Goedeke on the right side. Long-term project Brandon Walton is the primary backup to Wirfs. He played adequately in over 200 snaps in 2022 but received no playtime last year.

Tampa Bay also has Silas Dzansi on the roster after he spent last season on the practice squad. And the team just added Lorenz Metz for depth on Monday.

What The Bucs Need At Offensive Tackle

Luke Goedeke had a strong second season, but may not have the ceiling of a player the Bucs would want to invest a second contract in. But he is still two years away from the team having to make that decision. Drafting a potential starter at right tackle right now would be a waste of an early draft pick, but might be worthwhile on Day 3.

Brandon Walton has been a good developmental backup and Justin Skule has starting experience. The jury is still out on Silas Dzani and newcomer Lorenz Metz, who has incredible length at 6-foot-9, 310 pounds.

Yet if Tristan Wirfs were to go down for any significant period of time, none of the other three would be a solid replacement for more than a game or two. The team could look for a more athletic project to develop and eventually take over for either of Walton or Skule, both of whom are only under contract for this season at minimum salaries.

Top Offensive Tackles in 2024 NFL Draft

1. Notre Dame OT Joe Alt – Junior – 6-9, 321 – 5.05

Alt is a plug-and-play tackle with the blend of plus tape and pure athleticism general managers drool over. He has great footwork, phenomenal balance and plays instinctive football with plus feel for stunts/games. His pass sets are balanced and consistent and he rarely oversets or gets fooled by an inside counter. There isn’t a scheme or team that couldn’t use him as he checks literally every box you would want from a future face-of-the-franchise tackle.

2. Washington OT Troy Fautanu – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 317 – 5.01

Washington OT Troy Fautanu – Photo by: USA Today

There were questions about whether Fautanu would need to switch to guard at the NFL due to lack of length. However, he dispelled those rumors at the NFL Scouting Combine when he measured in with 34.5-inch arms and an 81.5-inch wingspan. Those are good for the 67th and 41st percentiles among offensive tackles, respectively. That’ll play on the outside where his tape is outstanding. Fautanu plays with an incredible base and excellent footwork. That helps him react well to inside counters. He is a smooth mover with natural athleticism.

Fautanu can get high with his pads in the run game. While he can handle power, he has a tendency to absorb a bit too much, condensing the pocket at times. His punch is strong, but he can work on being more consistent with his placement.

3. Penn State OT Olu Fashano – Redshirt Junior – 6-6, 312 – 5.11

Fashano is a smooth moving, long and lanky, prototypical tackle. He is a natural mover who made Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List.” He is quick out of his stance and gets to his proper depth easily. Fashano pairs his physical traits with a competitor’s demeanor and hates to lose. Leaning quickly from his losses, Fashano is a good bet to be one of the fastest developers in a strong class.

With his tall and leaner frame, he can lose to straight bull rushes if Fashano loses his leverage and narrows his base, which can happen from time-to-time. But all of his weaknesses can easily be coached out of Fashano’s game which is why he will be a coveted prospect.

4. Georgia OT Amarius Mims – Junior – 6-8, 340 – 5.07

Mims is an extremely raw prospect as a product of a Georgia machine that usually has players leave the program for the draft after just a single year as a starter. True to that form, Mims will enter the NFL with all of eight starts and less than 850 collegiate snaps. Despite his lack of experience, Mims’ size and arms make it incredibly difficult to win the edge against him. He marries his upper and lower body movements well.

Part of Mims’ appeal is his youth as he one of the younger tackles in this draft. He is a flexible and smooth mover with strength throughout both his upper and lower halves. Mims will need to improve on how he responds to counters and becoming more consistent with his pad level and leverage consistency.

5. Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga – Redshirt Junior – 6-6, 324 – 5.13

A hulking human being, Fuaga was one of the standout players in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. With his large, well-balanced frame and strong, powerful punch combined with his high floor as a run blocker give him the base ability to be a solid right tackle from day one.

But Fuaga isn’t the smoothest mover and can mis-time his punch. Fuaga plays with a ton of passion but can let his competitive nature lead to unnecessary penalties. He profiles best in a gap/power system.

6. Alabama OT J.C. Latham – Junior – 6-6, 342 – N/A

Latham is incredibly strong and has the finisher’s mentality to embarrass defenders in the run game. He carries his weight well and displays impressive footwork which helps him get to his landmarks, erase the outer edge of the arc and still gives him the ability to handle inside counters.

His profile could make Latham an elite guard at the next level. But he is plenty good enough to stick at tackle where he had 27 starts in college and won second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors.

7. Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton – Redshirt Junior – 6-8, 322 – 5.19

Oklahoma OL Tyler Guyton – Photo by: USA Today

Guyton was late to football, originally viewing himself as a basketball player. He was originally recruited to TCU as an overall athlete and made his first college appearance as an H-Back operating out of the tight end room. Eventually he settled in as a tackle where he is still a work in progress. Part of the problem is that in addition to his late arrival to football, he has missed several games over the last two years due to injury.

While the ceiling is high with him, there is likely to be quite a few growing pains as he develops his mechanics and technical prowess. But you can’t teach his length, size and movement so the foundation is there for a talented player, but it will be important he goes to a team that can be patient and develop him.

8. BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia – Redshirt Sophomore – 6-5, 326 – 5.04

Suamataia is one of the younger linemen in the draft and offers tremendous upside but will need a team that can be patient as he learns the more technical side of the position. Until then he will flash incredible traits with plus movement and strong hands.

He has strong leg drive that should give him a high floor as a run blocker but can overset in pass protection and leave Suamataia susceptible to inside counters. Suamataia is still learning how to time his upper and lower halves, identifying games and pass rush plans as well as keeping more consistent pad level.

9. Houston OT Patrick Paul – Redshirt Senior – 6-7, 331 – 5.13

Paul is quick out of his stance and has the pure strength and explosiveness to handle the strongest and fastest edge rushers in the game. But he plays high and has a tendency to overset which leaves him susceptible to inside moves. Paul’s technique does not match his athletic traits at this point in his career and he will need time to learn the nuances of the position before he can be trusted to be left on an island at the next level.

10. TCU OT Brandon Coleman – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 313 – 4.99

Coleman is a long and strong player with a wide upper frame. He moves like he has twenty less pounds on his frame and is especially adept as a puller. His hands time up well with his punches, and he keeps his latch through the end of his blocks. Despite moving well and protecting the edge of the arc, he can get caught leaning by more patient pass rushers and has a tendency to allow the pocket to compress. Coleman has positional flexibility and has shown an ability to play through minor injuries giving him a true offensive lineman’s mentality.

Best of The Rest

11. Washington OT Roger Rosengarten – Redshirt Junior – 6-5, 308 – 4.92

With a 4.92 40-yard dash, Rosengarten is the fastest tackle on the list. He built off of that impressive number with good testing in explosive and agility drills as well. Offsetting his impressive movement skills is a lean frame that struggles to handle power well. Rosengarten will have to improve his anchor and recovery to become a trusted starter in the NFL, but creative offensive minds will covet his athleticism and can groom him to be an adequate starter in a zone-based scheme.

12. Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher – Junior – 6-6, 310 – 5.20

Fisher gets overlooked working on the same line as Joe Alt but is a very solid tackle in his own right. He is big and fast but tends to win more with mechanics than sheer force and power. Fisher loses the leverage battle more than he should in both pass protection as well as when he is trying to move forward in the run game. But he fires off the line quickly catching defenders off guard. Fisher profiles best to a zone-heavy scheme where his lateral agility and movement skills will play up.

13. Kansas OT Dominick Puni – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 313 – 5.35

KU OL Dominick Puni – Photo by: USA Today

Puni was a two-year starter for the Jayhawks where he saw action at left guard during his junior season (13 starts) and left tackle (12 starts). With his frame and arm length (33 3/8) he could get a shot at right tackle in the NFL or possibly move inside to guard or center. A calm, steady pass protector with a strong upper body, Puni plays with good grip strength and toughness with just enough footwork and athleticism to win.

He shows good power in the running game with his initial pop, but could use work sustaining drive blocks. Puni has experience in both power and zone schemes, and showed he could compete in making a big jump from Central Missouri to Kansas where he was named first-team All-Big XII last year as a senior.

14. Texas OT Christian Jones – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 305 – 5.04

Jones is a long-armed, powerful puncher with clunky movements that profile him as a 10-year swing tackle. He has plenty of experience with 48 starts at Texas but he is not the smoothest mover. He loves to drive defenders past the play in the run game with his strong lower half and can be quick to his kick slide. Hip-stiffness leaves him struggling to stop edge defenders who can bend and corner quickly.

Jones is best served in a gap system that won’t ask him to get on the move much but will accentuate his pure power profile so he can physically try to overwhelm opponents.

15. Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie – Senior – 6-5, 323 – N/A

Amegadjie’s 85.5-inch wingspan stands out immediately, giving him rare length at a position where that skill is a almost a prerequisite for success. His basketball background gives him great feet to mirror, match and counter opponents. He can lose to patient rushers who are patient enough to wait until he stops his feet. His best path in the NFL is one where he redshirts his rookie season while he continues to refine the technical aspect of his game.

16. Penn State OT Caedan Wallace – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 314 – 5.15

Wallace is a drive blocker through and through enjoying the finish of a block over the start of it. He loves to use his lower half to push through the end of run blocks. Wallace uses his arms and hands to try and keep defenders out of his chest. But he has trouble moving across two planes meaning he will lose the arc too often. He will need to improve his technique and cut down on holding penalties that built up in 2023.

17. Missouri OT Javon Foster – Redshirt Senior – 6-6, 313 – 5.30

While many of the tackles in this draft have fantastic athleticism, you can’t really count Foster among them. But he does have three years of starting in the SEC against some of the most athletic pass rushers in college football.  He still struggles to marry his hands and feet. Foster is big and loves to come downhill to erase linebackers and safeties on pulls. But there are legitimate questions about whether he can keep up with explosive speed off the edge and you can see he worries about it as evidenced by his eight false starts in 2023.

18. Oklahoma OT Walter Rouse – Redshirt Senior – 6-6, 314 – 5.25

Rouse lacks a defining characteristic that can be labeled as “elite” but does his level-best to get the most out of a package of solid skills. After starting four years at Stanford, Rouse took a major step forward in his final collegiate season at Oklahoma. Rouse can give up the edge of the arc because he’s not a fluid mover. His tight hips leave him vulnerable to inside counters. He can get caught looking to initiate contact which will leave him bending at the waist and losing his balance.

19. Wyoming OT Frank Crum – Redshirt Senior – 6-8, 313 – 4.94

A four-and-a-half-year starter, Crum brings rare movement ability to a very tall frame. But his height works against him as he often loses the leverage battle and winds up leaning. He is a diligent worker who strives to improve every day, game and rep. He has a high ceiling, but an extremely narrow path to reach it.

20. Louisiana OT Nathan Thomas – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 332 – 5.19

Thomas has a thick frame and long arms that he uses to generate power, leverage and torque. When he drops anchor it sinks like an anvil. He’s a bit slow to get to his pass sets and is susceptible to inside counters. Thomas can get caught guessing and leaning which puts him out over his skis. But if you like power and strength in your tackles, Thomas is your guy.

21. Marshall OT Ethan Driskell – Redshirt Senior – 6-8, 313 – N/A

Driskell’s height and 83.5-inch wingspan combined with his burst out of his stance make him an intriguing prospect as a pass protector. But he also struggles to maintain his pad level as his towering size means he will constantly have to play with a leverage disadvantage.

Bucs’ Best Bets: Offensive Tackle

Bucs’ Best Bet – Rounds 1-3: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton

Bucs general manager Jason Licht has a history of drafting left tackles and moving them inside to play guard. He’s done with Ali Marpet (2015), Alex Cappa (2017) and Cody Mauch (2023) in years past. Guyton, a super-athletic right tackle, has the skillset to move inside to play guard at the next level. If the Bucs want to draft an offensive lineman to fill in at left guard for Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie, who have both departed in free agency, Guyton certainly has the traits to do it.

The Oklahoma product is still a work in progress at age 21, but there is a chance he still could be on the board at No. 26 when Tampa Bay is on the clock. Guyton has long arms and quick feet. Despite being 6-foot-7, 322 pounds, Guyton plays with great knee bend and won’t get out-leveraged because he anchors well in pass protection. The Bucs had a formal meeting with Guyton at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Bucs’ Best Bet – Rounds 4-7: Kansas OT Dominick Puni

There is a chance that Puni could go in the third round, but he’s also 24 years old after playing six years of college football at Central Michigan and at KU. If Puni is there late in the third round or in the fourth round he would be a great value pick for the Bucs because of his position flexibility. Puni started 12 games at left tackle for the Jayhawks last season, but started 13 games at left guard as a junior.

He also has the frame to play right tackle in the NFL, but the Bucs would view Puni as a guard or even a candidate at center where he showed he could compete at the Senior Bowl. With his frame he’s closer to Ryan Jensen’s size and bigger than Robert Hainsey. He plays with a physical nasty demeanor and would fit in well with that the Bucs are looking to do offensively. Puni is a bit top heavy, and needs to work on his lower body strength. But he has quick, nimble feet for a man of his size. Tampa Bay met with Puni formally at the Combine.