As Bucs fans mourn the likely loss of All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs for a game or more to start the regular season, Joe is reflecting on all things Wirfs.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht added to those reflections recently.
Licht was a guest on Field Talk Podcast and revealed how strongly he wanted to draft Wirfs during the 2020 NFL Draft. Joe had seen reports of Licht trying to get into the top-10, but Licht put a pick on it with Yates.
“We started trying to trade up for him at [No.] 7.” Licht said. “So it worked out in our favor that nobody wanted to do that. I was willing to give up quite a bit to go up there, too.”
What a coup that was for Licht. Fans likely remember there were four highly-graded offensive tackles in that 2020 draft.
Andrew Thomas went off the board at No. 4 for the Giants, and then at No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, tackles Jedrick Wills (Cleveland) and Mekhi Becton (Jets) were taken next.
That left Wirfs in play and Licht panting like Joe always did at Crazy Buffet on Dale Mabry (R.I.P). Licht traded up one spot with San Francisco, from No. 14 to No. 13, to select Wirfs after the Raiders drafted receiver Henry Ruggs, who currently is serving a state prison sentence in Nevada.
Joe paused when Licht mentioned trading up to No. 7. Was he prepared to give up a 2020 second-round pick?
That’s likely what it would have required. And that pick turned out to be Antoine Winfield, Jr., whose huge forced fumble against the Saints in that year’s playoffs was key to the Bucs reaching the Super Bowl.
This whote story is a great example of what makes the draft so exhilarating and compelling.
Antoine Winfield Jr single handedly saved the Buccaneers season here.
Saints would have been on Bucs 40 yard line with 3 minutes left in the third and likely would have made it a 2 score game going into the 4th quarter.
Fired up the team, momentum shifted, and sent Tampa to… https://t.co/DBLKAZ3GQV pic.twitter.com/rtq08WCjbN
— Ashlie (@EMT_Ashlie) June 7, 2024