Raise your hand if you think Tristan Wirfs is great.

You in the back!

Why isn’t your hand up?

Oh, you didn’t hear me?

I SAID RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK BUCS OFFENSIVE TACKLE TRISTAN WIRFS IS GREAT!

That’s better. Keep it up for not paying attention when you should have.

Wirfs is a case study in exceptional. He was the fourth offensive tackle taken in the 2020 NFL Draft and the last of the “surefire” first-rounders at that position taken in that draft. And while most draft analysts lauded the pick and thought he was worthy of the 13th overall selection, no one could have predicted he would immediately become one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL from the moment he stepped on the field.

But that is exactly what has happened. And through year three of his professional career, it appears Wirfs is not only not slowing down, but he is getting better. Pro Football Focus recently published an article looking at the best tackles in the NFL in 2022 and the Bucs’ top lineman was a featured player. Looking at pass blocking grades in various situations, the NFL grading site listed the top tackles in each situation.

Tristan Wirfs Played Well In Most Situations

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

As you might expect, Tristan Wirfs’ stellar play in 2022 was not relegated to just one or two areas. PFF cited seven different situations and the Bucs’ offensive line lynchpin ranked top five in five of those categories. He placed second just behind Houston’s Laremy Tunsil in overall pass-blocking with a 90.5 grade. That grade made Wirfs the highest-graded right tackle last year in pass blocking.

Isolating for just late downs (third and fourth), the Bucs’ right tackle once again was bested by only Tunsil, as his pass blocking grade fell slightly to an 88.6. PFF noted Wirfs only allowed two pressures over 159 plays in these situations. When you consider that in these situations Wirfs would have faced a defense focused on rushing the passer and less inclined to read run keys, his feat becomes that much more impressive.

When looking at late game situations, Wirfs continued to excel, ranking second to just Jake Matthews in pass blocking grade in the fourth quarter at 87.4. And when faced with a blitzing defense, Wirfs’ pass blocking grade was even better at 88.8. This was the top mark for all right tackles with only one pressure allowed in these situations.

Wirfs and his fellow tackles all saw their pass blocking grades fall when facing stunts. However, Wirfs still ranked highly compared to his peers, as his 83.8 grade in those instances was still second among all tackles. Defensive stunts require a high degree of communication by two or more offensive linemen and the fact that Wirfs’ grade fell 5-7 points in these situations but he still ranked second among tackles shows that this is an area where defenses gain a competitive advantage over offenses.

Two Areas Where Tristan Wirfs Fell Out of The Top 5

While Tristan Wirfs was stellar in most pass-blocking situations last year, there were two types of situations where his performance landed him outside of the Top 5 tackles listed by PFF. On third-and-long, Wirfs failed to crack the Top 5, as his pass-blocking grade was below the 86.6 grade that the Packers’ David Bakhtiari posted as the fifth-best tackle in those situations. Similarly, Wirfs failed to crack the Top 5 in play-action situations, meaning his grade in those scenarios was below the 49ers’ Trent Williams, who earned an 88.2 grade.

Tristan Wirfs Is An Elite Pass Blocker

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

As great as Tristan Wirfs is as a pass blocker, there is an argument to be made that he is still underrated. Last year, he allowed the fewest pressures among starting tackles in the NFL. And the next-closest player to him allowed almost double the six Wirfs surrendered.

Using his power, quickness and technical acumen, Wirfs paired with the lightning-quick decision-making and release of his future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady created nightmares for opposing edge rushers. Wirfs’ skills will be put to a new test this year as he transitions from the right side to left tackle while simultaneously moving from a quarterback with the quickest time-to-throw in the NFL to a quarterback with one of the longest times-to-throw.

But despite all this, I doubt anyone is going to bet against the All-Pro continuing to be one of the best pass blocking tackles in the NFL.