There is a lot of excitement surrounding the 2020 first-round pick for the Buccaneers, Tristan Wirfs. Here is the best competition he will face in 2020.
The Buccaneer offensive line will be one of the most important units in the NFL in 2020. If it performs well, the Buccaneers will be able to play competitively against any team in the NFL. If it plays poorly, it could be a long season for Tampa Bay. Tristan Wirfs will have a significant impact on whether the line plays well or if it will struggle.
After being drafted 13th overall by the Bucs, Wirfs is the favorite to start week one at right tackle. Joe Haeg was a reliable insurance policy for a scenario where the Buccaneers couldn’t find a tackle in the draft, but Wirfs’ ceiling is too high to start the year on the bench.
The expectations are very high that the rookie from Iowa can help take the line from the middle of the pack in the league up into the top-10. The other pieces on the line are solid, and if Wirfs’ projections are accurate, Tampa Bay could have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Despite the excitement that is very clearly starting to surround Wirfs, 2020 will have its share of tough matchups, especially those that will try to attack the youngest player on the line.
Here are the toughest matchups that Tristan Wirfs will face in his rookie season.
Tristan Wirfs is going to play against some of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in his first season, but the one that is going to be the most common opponent is Cameron Jordan.
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Wirfs is going to face Jordan twice a year for the foreseeable future, and this matchup will be brutal from start to finish.
Jordan is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, accounting for 40.5 sacks in the last three seasons. During this time, Jordan has also posted 74 quarterback hits and 50 tackles for loss. It is no surprise that Jordan has become a familiar participant in the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro back in 2017, despite his stats having improved consistently since then.
Tristan Wirfs is going to have his hands very full in this matchup. Joran lines up at left end and Wirfs at right tackle, meaning there is a very strong likelihood that these two will play over 100 snaps against one another during the season.
A matchup like this will immediately be the toughest of Wirfs’ career, but it will be a great litmus test for the remainder of the season. There may be a steep learning curve, but if Wirfs can keep up with Jordan, the outlook on the rest of the season will remain positive.
Moving along with the cast of All-Pro caliber players that Wirfs will see in his first season, linebacker Von Miller is the next matchup that will be extremely difficult to contain. Wirfs is going to quickly develop a rogues’ gallery that would even send shivers down Batman’s spine.
Miller has been one of the most prominent pass rushers in the NFL since he arrived in 2011, and during that time, he has been a Super Bowl MVP, a 3-time All-Pro, and has only missed the Pro Bowl once due to an injury.
During this time, Miller has been the epitome of consistency, with only two seasons with less than ten sacks. Von Miller will go down as one of the best pass-rushers ever, and it is fitting that Tristan Wirfs will also get to experience this matchup despite his lack of experience.
The Bronco defense may not be what it used to be, and Miller may also line up on the right side now more than the left, but there will be some snaps where Miller and Wirfs are matched up.
Wirfs will have been given some time to get used to the speed of the NFL by this point in the season, but that will only help in this matchup marginally. The Buccaneers will have to hope that Wirfs is on his game in week three if they wish to keep Brady protected.
Saving the best (or scariest) for last, Khalil Mack rounds out the group as the best individual opponent that Tristan Wirfs will face in his first season. Mack is one of the best players in the NFL, not just pass-rusher, and his talent could make him one of the best players that Wirfs faces in his career.
One of the most significant storylines going into the 2018 season was the Oakland Raiders trading the two-time All-Pro to the Chicago Bears for a pair of first-round draft picks. This move was a shock because teams can use every draft pick for a decade on pass rushers and never find a player like Khalil Mack.
Like the Broncos, the defense for Chicago has taken a step back, but that doesn’t make Mack any less threatening. Mack can move all around the defense and attack from almost any angle, but one has to think that he will target the rookie above anyone else.
Due to Mack’s size, speed, and strength, the Buccaneers will likely have more than one player on Mack alongside Wirfs. Even with additional help from the line or a running back also blocking, Tristan Wirfs will have his hands full in this matchup more than any other.
Trial by fire is useful for showing what a player is made of, but the Bucs have to hope the heat isn’t too much for the rookie in this scenario.