Despite a historic transition to left tackle and elite PFF grades, Tampa Bay’s All-Pro anchor surprisingly slid down the rankings as he takes over as the roster's cornerstone piece.
Entering the upcoming NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have multiple big holes to fill following the departures of franchise legends Mike Evans and Lavonte David.
However, having one of the top left tackles in the NFL in Tristan Wirfs is a luxury, as the former Iowa Hawkeye continues to produce at an All-Pro level.
As the NFL continues to release its 2026 NFL Top 100, Wirfs came in at a surprisingly low mark, ranking as the No. 52 player in the NFL.
Despite Tampa's overall offensive line inconsistencies, Wirfs has remained a constant in the trenches, protecting starting quarterback Baker Mayfield's blindside.
After starting his NFL career as a right tackle, Wirfs made a seamless transition to the left side of the offensive line, making history as the first player in NFL history to earn AP First-Team All-Pro honors at both right and left tackle.
Last season, the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft earned a 92.7 overall PFF grade, ranking second among 89 qualified offensive tackles, according to PFF.
His 84.9 pass-blocking grade and 91.6 run-blocking grade each ranked top-five at his position, while surrendering just two sacks.
Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, Wirfs also struck gold for the lone touchdown of his NFL career, slipping off the offensive line for a 2-yard score.
Following the score, Mayfield said his left tackle "did a good job" despite him having to put a little extra power on the throw to ensure it got to him.
Mayfield also joked that other members of the offensive line may have not been able to deliver or would have gotten to antsy to make the play.
Going forward, Wirfs will be tasked with being a veteran presence for this new era of Tampa Bay football, as he is now the undisputed most-accomplished player on the roster.
Alongside young, developing offensive line pieces like Graham Barton and Cody Mauch, Wirfs remains the guidebook of how to carry yourself and play at a high level.
Recently, Roundtable's Jason Klingensmith talked about this responsibility, noting that Wirfs was ranked ninth out of the top-20 true franchise players in the NFL by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.
Of the eight players ranked ahead of Wirfs, seven were quarterbacks, with the lone non-QB being Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was listed just ahead of the Bucs star at No. 8.
With the uncertainty surrounding Mayfield's contract situation, expect Tampa's gunslinger to lean on the reliability from Wirfs on his blind side.
