Bucs right tackle Tristan Wirfs may only be two years into his career, but he’s already one of the best players at his position.

ESPN wrapped up its positional rankings series on Friday, releasing its list of top 10 tackles in the NFL. The list, put together with a survey of executives, coaches, scouts and players from around the league, had Wirfs at No. 2.

Wirfs’ highest ranking was No. 1, while his lowest was 7. This comes just one year after he was ranked No. 8 in the league. Last year, he finished behind New York’s Mekhi Becton, who was drafted just ahead of him in 2020. 

As a Super Bowl-winning rookie in 2020, Wirfs allowed just one sack in 799 pass-blocking snaps. He legitimately played at a Pro Bowl and All-Pro level just a half-year removed from the end of his college career at Iowa. Then, in 2021, he continued his rise. This time around, he earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. Becton didn’t crack the top 10 this year, instead falling to the “also receiving votes” category. Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith also received votes in the survey.

Here’s what Jeremy Fowler wrote about Wirfs under his No. 2 ranking:

This is high for a player entering his third season, but Wirfs’ immediate impact in the league can’t go unnoticed. Wirfs narrowly beat Green Bay’s David Bakhtiari for second place in the voting. Bakhtiari had more first-place votes, but Wirfs had the better average and overall score.

“Elite pass-blocker,” an NFL personnel director said of Wirfs. “He’s got all the tools to be the best in this area.”

Having incredibly light feet for his 6-foot-5, 320-pound size helped Wirfs post a 91.6% pass block win rate last season — 12th best at the position — while leading all tackles in pass-block snaps (754).

His pass-block prowess is especially impressive considering Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady’s lack of mobility, though Brady is also highly skilled at getting rid of the ball quickly. But questions persist about Wirfs’ game when Brady hands the ball off. His 72.2% run block win rate was 49th among offensive tackles last season.

What’s Next For Wirfs?

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

Wirfs’ first two years in the league have him on quite the trajectory. The consistency he plays with is what makes a Hall of Fame career. There can only be more Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in his future. And he’s just 23 years old.

Tampa Bay isn’t in the territory where it needs to be thinking about Wirfs’ next context quite yet. Because he was a first-round pick in 2020, his rookie contract comes with a fifth-year option.

The Bucs will eventually exercise that option year, which comes in 2024. But before he gets to that contract year, a new contract should be in the works. It’s what the team did with Vita Vea just last year. Rather than head into 2022 with Vea playing in a contract year, the Bucs handed him a nice contract extension to lock him in through 2026. They would be wise to lock up Wirfs long-term as soon as they can, too.

But for now, Tampa Bay can feel comfortable about having one of the game’s best tackles protecting Tom Brady.