The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been blessed with the presence of a generational offensive tackle in Tristan Wirfs.
Wirfs is already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, with three All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl nominations through six seasons.
He also made NFL history as the first player to be named All-Pro at both right tackle and left tackle.
Wirfs’ resume speaks for itself, and until recently, he was widely considered the best offensive tackle in the NFL.
But a recent survey found that Wirfs is no longer viewed around the league as the best at his position.
Tristan Wirfs drops to No. 3 in ESPN’s top 10 offensive tackle rankings
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released the annual top 10 positional rankings, voted on by executives, coaches, and scouts around the league.
Wirfs came in at No. 3 in this year’s vote, behind Penei Sewell and Trent Williams.
Ranking among the league's elite at No. 3 is hardly an insult, but it’s hard to justify dropping Wirfs two spots after he ranked No. 1 on last year’s list.
“Last year's No. 1 battled a knee injury that cost him five games. He's undoubtedly elite and one of the best size-and-agility athletes in the game. But evaluators saw uneven moments last season once he returned,” wrote Fowler.
“Wirfs still posted the third-highest pass block win rate among tackles (95.5%). His rare talent should keep him in the top three for a while.”
“"He makes the very difficult look extremely easy," an NFC exec said. "There's probably another level he can still get to. Still so much untapped potential."”
As mentioned, Wirfs missed the start of last season while recovering from an offseason knee surgery. He might’ve been a bit rusty upon his return, and if that’s ultimately what caused his drop in the rankings, it should provide all the motivation he needs to reclaim his top spot.
Landing at No. 3 is no small feat, but a player of Wirfs’ caliber should aim for the top spot. Entering the 2026 season fully healthy, he’ll have the opportunity to remind the football world why he isn’t just one of the best offensive tackles, he’s the best.
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