Position Group: Offensive Line
Players: Ali Marpet, Tristan Wirfs, Donovan Smith, Alex Cappa, Ryan Jensen, Robert Hainsey, Aaron Stinnie, Josh Wells, Nick Leverett, John Molchon, Brandon Walton, Sadarius Hutcherson
2021 Evaluation: The Buccaneers' offensive line looked perhaps the best it has in 2021 and was a top-performing unit in the league. They allowed the least amount of sacks of their quarterback, Tom Brady, in the regular season and opened up a bolstered Tampa Bay run game that served the offense well even amidst all the injuries, especially later in the season.
The unit performed so well in fact, that it produced three Pro Bowlers and a first-team All-Pro tackle for the first time in team history. That honor belonged to Tristan Wirfs, who captured the All-Pro nod as well as one of the Pro Bowl spots. He was joined in Las Vegas by center Ryan Jensen and left guard Ali Marpet. Cappa was also named an alternate.
The numbers back up the accolades for the trio and the rest of the line. Brady was pressured on just 16.2% of dropbacks and he was the only quarterback under 18.0% all year. The Bucs' O-line unit had just a 3.0% sack rate, which ranked first in the entire NFL.
2022 Outlook: Jensen, Cappa, Stinnie and Wells will all be free agents as of next month. That could shake up a line that has thrived in its continuity for the past couple seasons. Each time a substitution needed to be made, it wasn't often a one-for-one solution but that was when dealing with minimal heads up. There is depth on this line. Hainsey, the team's third-round pick out of Notre Dame last year, has been working diligently at converting himself into a top-tier center. Leverett came in relief at various points throughout the year when injuries did happen.
The bookends in Wirfs and Smith are locked in, with Smith's contract taking him through 2024 and Wirfs through 2025 with the option. Marpet also announced his retirement. Now the question is… who will they be protecting?
