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 elite but his run blocking has been overlooked. It was one thing 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 mostly was running right to the left or right of Robert Hainsey. That 2023 season, Canales ran behind Wirfs less than any offensive lineman. Why the heck would you not 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, published each summer, his highest-ranked Bucs player is Wirfs at No. 20.

Why? In large part because Prisco likes how Wirfs run blocks.

Some would say Wirfs is the best left tackle in the game. 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.

Joe hopes 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 complicated. A very large man who looks like he has a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is an asset in run blocking.