Nobody expected Tristan Wirfs to play like the best right tackle in the NFL as a rookie last year, but from Week 1 on that was the story. The Iowa product faced a murderer’s row of edge rushers in a deep-drop, pass-heavy offense and locked up almost every opponent all year. The fast start has many dreaming of what Wirfs can become with a little more experience.

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Pro Football Focus thought so highly of Wirfs’ rookie campaign that the offensive tackle easily cracked their top 25 players under 25 years old list, slotting in 10th overall. PFF ascribed just 24 pressures and one sack in 20 games to Wirfs, highlights of a special first season in the NFL. Wirfs was the third-highest ranked 2020 rookie on the list, slotting right behind EDGE Chase Young and WR Justin Jefferson. Only one of the three offensive tackles selected ahead of him in the draft, the Jets’ Mekhi Becton, was ranked (23rd overall).

Wirfs was the only Bucs player to make the highly-competitive list, as notables such as LB Devin White, CB Carlton Davis or S Antoine Winfield Jr. were snubbed. Looking at the list, it is clearly a difficult group to make. However eight 2020 rookies populated the ranking, some of which weren’t even full-time starters last year. It is difficult to consider them better than White or Davis right now, but PFF remains low on White. It will be interesting to see if the third-year linebacker can build on his hot finish to 2020 this season.