Wirfs Selected by Buccaneers in 1st Round of NFL Draft

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BRONXVILLE, N.Y. — University of Iowa junior offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of Thursday’s NFL Draft. Wirfs was the 13th player picked overall.

“The upside for Wirfs is through the roof,” said Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN draft analyst. “He has a chance to be really good; that’s (head coach) Kirk Ferentz’s specialty at Iowa. He gets Wirfs to this level, now (Wirfs) needs to step up another notch to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player protecting (Tampa Bay quarterback) Tom Brady.”
 

The Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten Conference, Wirfs was named first-team All-America by Football Writers and Walter Camp. He was named first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media.
 
With the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Wirfs on the offensive line last season, the Hawkeyes won 10 games and averaged 366.5 yards (229 passing, 138 rushing) and 25.8 points per game.
 
In 2017, Wirfs, a native of Mount Vernon, Iowa, became the first true freshman to start for Ferentz at either offensive tackle position.   
 
Iowa has had eight offensive linemen selected in the NFL Draft in the last decade and 18 during the Ferentz era.

The Buccaneers traded up one spot to select Wirfs, who will help protect the recently acquired Brady. Last season, Tampa Bay led the NFL with 302.8 passing yards per game, was third in scoring offense (28.6 points per game) and third in total offense (397.9 yards per game). The Buccaneers were 24th out of 32 teams with 95.1 rushing yards per game. 

“The Buccaneers got a steal here,” said Booger McFarland, ESPN analyst.

“With his size, (Wirfs) can man-handle people at the line of scrimmage,” Kiper said.

Wirfs will rejoin Hawkeye teammate Anthony Nelson, who is in his second season with Tampa Bay. Wirfs and Nelson played together in Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 1, 2019 when Iowa defeated Mississippi State, 27-22, in the Outback Bowl.

Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978, including 10 first round selections. Five of those first-rounders have been offensive linemen. Wirfs is the 71st player coached by Ferentz at Iowa to be selected in the NFL Draft.
 
Entering Thursday, Iowa has 17 consecutive draft choices remaining active in the NFL, second only to Michigan’s 19.

To read the University of Iowa’s NFL Draft Central Page, click HERE.