The Bucs were a surprise team for most of the football world in 2023. Las Vegas set their win total at 6.5, early odds had them as the team least likely to win the NFC South and many pundits predicted Tampa Bay to pick in the top 10 or top 5 of the 2024 Draft.

Instead of meeting those low expectations, the Bucs blew past them. They used a late-season surge to turn a 4-7 record at the end of November into a 9-8 mark, another NFC South title and a home playoff game.

From there, they trounced the Eagles, 32-9, in the first round before playing the Lions tight in Detroit, only to fall, 31-23, to end the season. Despite the bitter end to the year, it’s fair to call Tampa Bay one of the surprises of the season.

It took a whole lot of individual efforts to form the collective effort that the Bucs needed to three-peat as NFC South champions and win a playoff game. Everyone will be quick to point to the seasons that quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Rachaad White, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, linebacker Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. had.

That’s all entirely fair.

Bucs RB Rachaad White and RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: USA Today

But the team also had its share of unsung heroes in 2023.

Perhaps they weren’t herculean efforts or record-breaking seasons, but plenty of players had to massively step up as Tampa Bay made the playoffs for a fourth straight year and won the NFC South a third consecutive time in what was, in some ways, a transitional season after the retirement of Tom Brady last February.

Along those lines, Pro Football Focus’ Thomas Valentine recently picked one “secret superstar” for each NFL team in 2023. Here was Valentine’s explanation of the concept:

“Not every player in the NFL gets equal recognition, and that occasionally means players who warrant more attention slip through the cracks. Everyone can’t be Patrick Mahomes, T.J. Watt or Justin Jefferson, but there are players whose impact on their teams deserves more attention. The secret superstars if you will.”

Who Was The Bucs’ “Secret Superstar” In 2023?

Thomas Valentine’s pick for the Bucs’ “secret superstar” was a player who has a case to be Tampa Bay’s most-improved player from 2022 to 2023. That was right tackle Luke Goedeke, who shined in his first season back at his natural position after struggling with a transition to guard during his rookie season.

Here’s what Valentine had to say about the Bucs’ 2022 second-round pick:

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

“After a tough start to his NFL career in 2022, Luke Goedeke switched from left guard to right tackle, filling the hole left by Tristan Wirfs, who slid across the line to left tackle. It was a big ask, but Goedeke performed well above expectations.

His 72.5 PFF grade was a huge improvement from his 46.7 PFF grade from his rookie season, and Goedeke allowed just a 6.9% pressure rate despite playing every single offensive snap in 2023. He, like the Buccaneers, was a major surprise in the best way.”

The grade jump that Valentine mentioned was actually the improvement in Goedeke’s pass blocking marks. His overall offensive grade indicated a slightly bigger leap, as he went from 46.7 in 2022 to 73.4 in 2023. That included elevating his run blocking grade to 70.0 following the 47.8 he posted as a rookie.

The position change proved to be a major help for the former Central Michigan man, as he looked more at home at right tackle than he did last year at left guard. He first played back at right tackle during Week 18 of the 2022 season and it was the best game of his rookie campaign to date, though he did top it in the playoff loss to Dallas the following week while moving back to guard.

In any case, Goedeke was the Bucs’ full-time right tackle in 2023 as the team moved All-Pro Tristan Wirfs to left tackle after releasing Donovan Smith in the offseason. The tackle duo consisting of close friends Wirfs and Goedeke gives Tampa Bay two bookends to build its offensive line around moving forward. Add in 2023 second-round pick Cody Mauch and there’s plenty to work with for the future.