First off, let’s talk about that combine because ridiculous might be an understatement.
The man was the elite of the elite for the 40 yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump. Those last two are the most important as it shows his explosiveness and considering some of the numbers he’s put up in the weight room, I have zero concerns about a slightly below average bench press number. This guy is big, strong, and explosive; those are three traits that I really like in my offensive linemen (or really any position for that matter).
As much as I am a fan of Wirfs, it's not all sunshine and roses. Sometimes, he gets a little overzealous and gets off balance.
He got knocked on his ass by a defensive back on this play. It doesn't really cost Iowa anything since the quarterback is rolling to the opposite side, but staying balanced is going to be incredibly important in Wirfs's development.
There is a lot of easy athleticism in Wirfs’s game. His athleticism is a great trait as long as he keeps his feet underneath him.
On this play, he does a nice job to deliver a punch to the defensive end to help out his guard before easily shifting to the linebacker.
The Iowa State game was a mixed bag for Wirfs. The versatility is impressive as he played both right and left tackle, not only in the same game, but sometimes he switched in the middle of a drive. On the downside, Wirfs really struggled with his footing on a wet field in this game. He was on the ground WAY more often than you would like to see. Still, he can make plays most tackles can’t by using that athleticism.
Here, he drives the Rutgers defender inside to clear him out of the play, and then turns and chases down the cornerback to pop him outside towards the sideline to create a wide running lane on the reverse.
He uses good footwork to handle speed rushes as well.
The linebacker comes late for the blitz and tries a speed rush to the outside, but it barely looks like the linebacker is trying as Wirfs easily slides his feet and takes care of the linebacker without any trouble.
If you are going to try to bullrush Tristan Wirfs, you better bring a lot of power.
He stonewalls his man here, and just shuffles him along to give the quarterback plenty of time to make a big play down the field.
He is really able to unleash his power in the run game.
Here, he gets his paws on the defensive end and just drives him back and into the ground as Iowa picks up the first down.
And just for fun, let’s look at him dominating his man on a quarterback sneak.
That’s how you gain eight yards on a quarterback sneak.
Overall, Wirfs is a excellent prospect and likely worthy of a top-10 pick. I’m not just saying that because he’s a Hawkeye; it’s also because he was a state champion in wrestling, and that always earns points for me. What we have is a guy who was good enough to start as a true freshman and just turned 21 a couple months ago. He’s already incredibly powerful and showed that he can move pretty damn well too. His technique could use a little polish as he tends to get a little in front of his feet, but I don’t think that’s anything he can’t clean up. No need for NFL teams to worry about this pick, Tristan will be Wirfs it.
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