New position? No problem.
Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs was asked to move from right tackle to left tackle to accommodate weaknesses in the offensive line for 2023. And while many (including us!) thought this would be a mistake, Wirfs proved doubters wrong with his excellent performances on the new side.
Wirfs made an appearance in Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded offensive linemen for the 2023 season, coming in at No. 5. Here’s what writer Austin Scott had to say about Wirfs’ performance after moving from right tackle to left tackle for last year’s campaign:
The 2020 first-round pick has now posted an 80.0-plus grade in each of his first four seasons and has proven to be an elite pass protector, even if he’s not the dominant road grader some of his peers are.
Despite a switch from right to left tackle, he did not miss a beat in pass protection in 2023, earning a second-ranked 86.1 pass-blocking grade and allowing just 24 QB pressures across 777 pass-blocking snaps.
Wirfs indeed looked like he had for most of his career for the beginning of the 2023 season. His season took a slight dip from the Indianapolis Colts game in Week 12 after his ankle began bothering him, but he still finished the season as one of the league’s best offensive tackles. He’ll get another crack at the job in 2024, once again manning the left tackle spot opposite of Luke Goedeke on the right side.
Wirfs was a First Team All-Pro in 2021 and a Second Team All-Pro in 2022, but he didn’t make either list in 2023.
