In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, Bucs offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is seen by NFL coaches and executives as one of the best tackles in the NFL. That is according to an anonymous survey ESPN took of coaches, scouts, executives and even players who submitted their top-10 ballots for the tackle position.
Wirfs, who has made two Pro Bowls in his first three years in the NFL made the list for the second consecutive year, falling one spot from his 2022 ranking to third this year. From the snippet the ESPN article provided about him, it seems injuries may be what caused the small drop.
An ankle injury cost Wirfs four games, but he allowed only one sack as a primary pass-blocker, tied with Lane Johnson for first in this group. He also made his second Pro Bowl in three NFL seasons.
The Bucs are moving Wirfs from right to left tackle this offseason.
“Durability seemed to be the only issue last year,” an AFC exec said. “He’s arguably the best right tackle in football for the last few years.”
The “arguably” refers to Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson, whose stellar play has helped cause the debate over who is the best right tackle in football at this moment. But that debate is becoming a moot point as Wirfs moves from right to left tackle.
The injury that was referenced did have a noticeable impact on Wirfs last year. It knocked him out of action from weeks 13-15, with an additional week of rest in week 18 after the Bucs knew they were going to the playoffs regardless of the outcome of their matchup with the Falcons in the season’s final game, becoming the first significant injury he had to deal with in his young career.
It also had a substantial impact on his play as he tried to return from the injury (most likely earlier than he should have) in week 16 on Christmas Day against the Cardinals. Wirfs’ play in that game was considerably below his lofty standards, leading to a 59.7 Pro Football Focus Grade.
Despite the injury Wirfs may have had one of the greatest pass blocking seasons in recent
