ESPN has started releasing the results of their yearly NFL poll that includes asking league execs, coaches, scout, and other members who the best players are at each position. They usually get some interesting results as it paints a picture of the difference between talent in the eyes of fans and the league in most cases.
The next position they discussed this week was the offensive tackle group in the NFL.
For the Bucs, they had one representative in Tristan Wirfs, who earned the top spot at his position in the eyes of fellow NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. In 2024, Wirfs earned the fourth overall spot but his work during the past season was enough to get those within the poll to realize they needed to adjust their rankings.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes, “Wirfs earning first-team All-Pro honors at left and right tackle is an incredible feat. No other player in NFL history has done that. Perhaps even more impressive: Wirfs did so in his second NFL season of playing each position (2021, 2024), showing a Doogie Howser level of quick learning. ESPN Research attributed two sacks to Wirfs, an impressive number for a left tackle. His 95.9 pass block win rate led all tackles. . .Wirfs’ work on the left side helped the Bucs’ offense rank third in total offense (399.5 yards per game). Wirfs is the game’s highest-paid tackle at $28.125 million per year.”
An NFC executive went further in explaining what makes Wirfs special by explaining, “He doesn’t have the flashy plays that Sewell has, but everything is so easy to him, he can handle whatever you want out there and won’t look particularly stressed doing it. Rare combination of size and athleticism.”
The lowest ranking that Wirfs had within the poll was the seventh overall tackle.
The news of his top billing comes on the heels of Wirfs being ruled out for several weeks following knee surgery. The Bucs will learn quickly what it is like without the best offensive tackle in the NFL, as their schedule is not easy out of the gates for the 2025 season.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs’ Tristan Wirfs voted the best at his position in ESPN’s league wide poll
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
