The absence of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs has led to a domino effect on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line to start the 2025 season. Most notably, second-year player Graham Barton, who started at center in his rookie season, will start at left tackle on Sunday in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
With Barton moving to the edge, starting left guard Ben Bredeson is shifting to center. Taking over at left guard is versatile veteran Michael Jordan, who was elevated from the practice squad to be eligible to play in Sunday's contest.
Barton played three seasons at left tackle for Duke before the Buccaneers made him the 26th overall pick in the 2024 draft. As General Manager Jason Licht explained while revealing the lineup changes on the Buccaneers pregame radio broadcast, the team also has confidence in Bredeson handling the pivot.
"We're going to have Graham Barton start at left tackle," said Licht. "Ben Bredeson is going to be starting at center, which is a position that he's played a lot of. We actually signed him as a center [in 2024] at the time, but then we drafted Graham we moved him to guard. Graham was a very good left tackle in the ACC for three years. When we drafted him, the thought was if we were without Tristan or Luke [Goedeke], this guy could be a starting tackle in this league."
Offseason addition Charlie Heck had taken significant reps at left tackle during Wirfs' absence in the preseason due to a knee injury. Licht said the Buccaneers' decision to start Barton on Baker Mayfield's blind side had more to do with how well the team thought he would handle the position and not about Hecke's performance.
Jordan has started 40 games for Cincinnati, Carolina and New Orleans, primarily at left guard.
