Wirfs Headed To Tampa Bay

Iowa offensive tackle taken by Buccaneers at No. 13 in Thursday's NFL Draft.

It took a little longer than expected, but Tristan Wirfs found an NFL home.

And he'll be protecting Tom Brady.

The former Iowa offensive tackle went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 13 pick of the first round in Thursday's opening night of the NFL Draft.

Wirfs is the 10th Hawkeye in the Kirk Ferentz era to go in the first round.

Wirfs was predicted by many to be in the top 10, but he turned out to be the fourth tackle selected.

Georgia's Andrew Thomas was the first tackle taken, going to the New York Giants at No. 4 in a spot where so many mock drafts had Wirfs going.

The next team that was expected to be interested in a tackle was the Arizona Cardinals at No. 8, but they went with Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Cleveland, at No. 10, was predicted to be another Wirfs spot, but the Browns selected Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.

The New York Jets, at No. 11, also took a tackle, but it was Louisville's Mekhi Becton.

The Las Vegas Raiders went with wide receiver Henry Ruggs of Alabama with the 12th pick. San Francisco had the next pick, but Tampa Bay, looking for offensive line help to protect their new acquisition in Brady,  traded up to select Wirfs.

“It's pretty crazy to think about. Tom Brady's been in the league since 2000. I was born in 1999," Wirfs said in a conference call with Tampa media on Thursday night. “He's been in the league almost as long as I've been alive. It's pretty cool to be able to protect him."

Wirfs was at his home in Mount Vernon for the draft. Before the night began, he held a special red-carpet moment for his mother to make up for the draft event in Las Vegas that was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was a pretty special moment," Wirfs said of being picked. "When your phone starts vibrating, you kind of get this wave of excitement and fear and all of these emotions. Then the red carpet, that was a pretty special deal. We were trying to give her a night kind of like Las Vegas – obviously it’s not near as fancy and we’re not dressed up or [anything], but we just rolled the red carpet out on our front lawn. Still, I was trying to make it special for her.” 

Sports Illustrated's Andy Benoit gives Tampa Bay an A-minus for the pick.

Benoit's take:

"If you’re going to invest in a 42-year-old Tom Brady, you need to fill your glaring hole at right tackle. Insert Wirfs, who was an efficient, compact starting right tackle for three years at Iowa. Though his measurables are mostly normal—he’s nearly 6'5" and has 34-inch arms—some feel that Wirfs’s playing style is better suited for the guard position. That’s an unlikely move for the Bucs, who have a quality left guard in Ali Marpet and spent a third-rounder on right guard Alex Cappa in 2018. Consider this a straightforward, value-needed selection."

Wirfs was the Big Ten's offensive lineman of the year and was a first-team All-American last season by the Football Writers Association of America, the Walter Camp Foundation, and Phil Steele.

Wirfs moved into the starting lineup at Iowa as a true freshman at right tackle, a position he held for the rest of his college career other than the three games last season when he moved over to left tackle because of the injury to Alaric Jackson.

“I think I came into the night pretty calm and collected," Wirfs said. "Coming from Iowa, we run a pretty pro-style offense and I know when I was at the combine, hearing all the [terminology] that teams were using for fronts and play calls – it was pretty similar to what I was taught and what I heard at Iowa. I just felt like wherever I went I was going to come ready to work. That’s kind of the mentality that was instilled in me at Iowa and I’m going to be coming from a great coaching staff who knows a pro-style offense. I was just excited to see where I end up and I’m ready to go.” 

"I think he’s coming from a place that is similar to what we do – set-wise and pass protections, run-wise," Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. "He’s extremely well-coached, so I think he’s ahead of the curve that way. And should allow us to put him in the lineup when we think he’s ready. We’re not going to throw him out there until he’s ready.”

No position group under Ferentz has had more draft picks than offensive line — Wirfs was the 18th selected.

Wirfs is the third Iowa player selected by Tampa Bay in team history. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn was the 20th overall selection in 2011, and the Buccaneers picked outside linebacker Anthony Nelson in the fourth round in 2019.