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

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs and Panthers OLB Brian Burns – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

memory. Over 626 pass blocking reps the Bucs standout allowed only five pressures. This was paramount to what little success the Bucs had on offense in 2022 as they struggled to an 18.2 points per game average that placed them 25th in the NFL. With the Bucs’ 45-year-old immobile quarterback and a suspect left side of the line, Wirfs’ consistency provided some assurances for Tom Brady that there would be enough time to find an open receiver.

Bucs Tackle Taking On New Challenge In 2023

As Wirfs transitions to left tackle this year he will face considerably stiffer competition for the moniker of ‘the best’ at his position. The 49ers’ left tackle Trent Williams has been playing on another plane of existence over the past three years while Laremy Tunsil was a glaring bright spot on a disappointing team last year.

Those two ranked just ahead of Wirfs in the ESPN article. Additionally, the New Yor Giants’ Andrew Thomas, who was selected nine spots ahead of Wirfs in the 2020 NFL Draft had a breakout season in 2022 and is poised to join the other three as one of the best in the game.

Despite the move to the other side of the line I have confidence that when ESPN produces these rankings again next year Wirfs will once again be featured in the top-five. And I’ll even stake a claim that there is a good chance he will be leading the list off in the number one spot.