Creating NFL Pro Bowl and All-Pro Teams is an imperfect process. With so many talented players in the league, the creation of these rosters is understandably a complicated, subjective and contentious exercise each NFL season.
Just ask Lavonte David, who despite putting up first ballot Hall of Fame numbers, has made only one Pro Bowl and been named to just three All -Pro teams over the course of his illustrious 13-year NFL career.
Knowing that these accolades aren’t always truly representative of the best of the best, sometimes it’s just as, if not more rewarding for players to know they’ve earned the approval of their peers.
Although we’ll have to wait a little longer to see which players make the official All-Pro rosters, the NFL Players Association recently unveiled their third annual Players’ All-Pro Team.
Unlike the official All-Pro selections, which include two teams (first and second) the Players’ All-Pro Team has just one. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had just one player represented on this year’s list, which was voted on exclusively by NFL players.
To the surprise of no one, that player was franchise left tackle, Tristan Wirfs.
In just his second year playing on the left side, Wirfs has been a brick wall protecting Baker Mayfield’s blindside. Although Wirfs is recognized by most metrics for being the best pass protecting tackle in football this year, his athleticism and mobility have allowed him to play a significant role in the Bucs’ much improved run game.
Even though he’s just 25 years of age, Wirfs has already put together an incredibly impressive resume. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl four times, the All-Pro team on two separate occasions, and based on this NFLPA vote, it’s obvious that he’s earned the respect of his teammates and opponents alike. Based on his dominant performance on the field this season, it would be a bit surprising if we don’t see Wirfs voted in as a First Team All-Pro when the official results come out in the very near future.