Can run block, too.
He just keeps getting better.
Joe always wondered why Tristan Wirfs is more known for his pass blocking than his run blocking. His pass blocking is just elite, that’s all there is to it.
His run blocking really is overlooked. It was one of the things that drove Joe crazy about former Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ playcalling.
Canales wanted to run the ball. But he wanted to run up the gut. Sadly, he was running right to the left or right of Robert Hainsey. Nothing against Hainsey, but he was no Wirfs.
That season, 2023, Canales ran behind Wirfs the fewest of any offensive linemen. Why the heck would you want to run behind your stud left tackle? Didn’t make a lick of sense to Joe.
Joe brings this up because in prickly Pete Prisco’s Top-100 list, which he publishes each summer, his highest-ranked Bucs player is Wirfs [at No. 20](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/priscos-nfl-top-100-players-of-2025-saquon-barkley-cracks-top-5-four-other-rbs-make-top-50-4-qbs-in-top-10/).
Why? In large part because Prisco likes how Wirfs run blocks.
Wirfs is one of the two best left tackles in the game, and some would say the best. He excels as a blind-side pass protector for Baker Mayfield and his run blocking is a big part of why the Bucs ran the ball better in 2024. (Last season: No. 24)
Joe hopes that first-year Bucs playcaller Josh Grizzard doesn’t get too cute running the ball. While the Bucs have a strong offensive line, there is no harm in occasionally running behind that big hoss that wears No. 78.
It’s not that complicated. A very large man who looks like he has a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is not a liability in run blocking.