These are the first words Tristan Wirfs heard after being selected by the Buccaneers in the 2020 NFL draft – and the enormous responsibility that lay before him replaced any disappointment from slipping to the fourth offensive tackle, the was selected in the first round.
« A lot was thrown at me, » said Wirfs. “Just those few words, I thought, ‘Wow! I will get ready asap. «
Brady’s NFL career started just 448 days after the 22-year-old Wirfs was born. When a little intimidated fanboy is in him from night to training camp, that’s understandable. But it’s been a long time since she was Teammates in Super Bowl LV are.
« He texted me on Instagram and I didn’t open it for nine hours because I had a lot of messages, » said Wirfs. « I didn’t see it until the next day and thought : “Oh my god.” I was scared. The first time I met him at our facility, I almost ran into him. I almost got a double shot, like « Wait a minute, you’re Tom Brady ». I called my mother right afterwards and told her I had met him. «
Future Hall of Fame Attacks Joe Thomas can’t imagine the pressure to fill Wirfs’ shoes. A missed block that leads to a Brady injury and …
» That’s like the first one on Your Wikipedia page: This guy ended Tom Brady’s career, « Thomas told The Post. » You don’t want to be that guy. I remember how stressed I was as a rookie and not blocking Tom Bradys for anyone. I can’t imagine that from day one, as a bodyguard, I was responsible for perhaps the greatest North American sports figure of all time. «
Wirfs was picked after Andrew Thomas (Giants, No. 4), Jedrick Wills (Browns, No. 10) and Mekhi Becton (Jets, No. 11). Wirfs played with the right tackle and allowed a sack. The other three allowed 21 sacks to play the left tackle together.
« I wasn’t angry that I was the fourth device, » said Wirfs. « I wouldn’t have been surprised by any order. »
Die Giants were determined to find a long-term left tackle in the draft, and projected Wirfs as a better guard or right tackle struggling with footwork on the other side, team sources told the Post. In one season, Wirfs rose from fourth in first place: 11th place among all offensive tackles – 20 places ahead of Becton, with a wider lead over Wills and Thomas – from Pro Football Focus.
« You didn’t know who else would rise to get him « said coach Bruce Arians. » We had chosen him as the highest man and e r was nothing more than a dream come true for us. Extremely mature young man, great athlete, and he did a great job blocking almost anyone they put in front of him. «
Anyone who hasn’t been sold at Wirfs is likely to believe one of two things: The right tackle is easier than the left tackle, which, according to Joe Thomas, is » out of date « as defense is now the top-pass Rushers spins to benefit from a cheap matchup.
Or Brady makes mediocre linemen look really good with his pocket feel and quick release.
« When I heard early that Wirfs was playing well, I thought : ‘Of course. Look at his quarterback, « said Thomas. » Then I watched him: Not just because he blocks for Tom Brady.
« He’s very patient in his pass set, which is what many people do He’s well balanced. He’s not overwhelmed. He seldom gets into bad positions. These are all things you see in veteran offensive tackles, but it’s very impressive when he does it early in his career . «
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