Tampa Bay wins again by improbably landing Tristan Wirfs with the 13th pick

The new-look Tampa Bay Buccaneers have yet to play a game, but they just keep winning.

Entering Thursday, Tampa Bay held the 14th pick, a great slot by NFL standards.

But when consensus top 10 pick Tristan Wirfs dropped, the Bucs made a small move in order to land a big man.

For Tampa Bay, the pick wasn’t shocking.

The shocking part was that Wirfs – Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2019 – was still available.

And with the selection, a rich offense suddenly got richer.

Before the draft, Wirfs was projected to be a top 10 selection in nearly every mock draft on the market. Jason McIntyre and Mel Kiper Jr. had Wirfs going 4th to the New York Giants. Joel Klatt and Todd McShay had him going 8th to Arizona.

Somewhat shockingly, three offensive lineman – Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Alabama’s Jedrick Willis and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton – were taken before Wirfs.

It was at that point that the Buccaneers realized they had a shot.

Tampa Bay swapped the 14th and 117th picks with San Francisco for the 13th and 245th picks.

So, what are the Bucs getting in Wirfs?

Apparently, a young man of high-character.

But also, a supreme athlete.

Big guys aren’t supposed to be able to do that.

The pick was universally lauded on Friday morning, and Colin Cowherd discussed what he believes to be another joyous day in the world of Tom Brady, the long-time New England Patriots quarterback turned Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.

“I feel like Tom right now feels supported … I bet you Jason Licht, the general manager, talked to Tom … You think [Bill] Belichick is telling Tom what his first pick is going to be? No!”

ESPN’s Marcus Spears also applauded the Buccaneers move to get Wirfs, but pointed out that it does come with some pressure for the incoming rookie.

“He has the most important job possibly in NFL history for a rookie offensive tackle: protect Tom Brady and make sure Tampa Bay reaches the heights that they want to … Tampa Bay hit a home run with Wirfs. He will be their stalwart tackle for the next 10-15 years.”

Joel Klatt and Jay Glazer sang the praises of Wirfs, calling him arguably the most athletic player in the draft.

“I love this pick,” Klatt said. “Tampa gets some protection for Tom Brady that they never dreamed would be available.”

You’d be hard-pressed to find a soul that thinks Tampa Bay didn’t hit the jackpot with Wirfs.

Now, all he has to do is protect his elders.