Tristan Wirfs - Pro Football Rumors

49ers Trade 13th Pick To Buccaneers

April 23rd, 2020 at 8:48pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve finally got our first trade of the evening. Plenty of teams in the top ten were listening to calls, but apparently nobody got an offer worth taking.

The 49ers are making the first move, trading back one slot with the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). In order to get the 13th pick Tampa will send the 14th pick and the 117th pick, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The 49ers will also send back the 245th pick as part of the deal.

The Bucs are using the selection to add some protection for Tom Brady, as they’re drafting Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs with the pick. San Francisco previously didn’t have any picks in the second, third, or fourth-rounds, so they were widely expected to explore trading down from one of their two first-rounders.

They are also currently scheduled to pick 31st later tonight, and GM John Lynch clearly wanted to get an extra mid-rounder. Since the Bucs are only moving up one spot, it’s likely the 49ers were threatening to move the pick to a different team who also wanted a tackle like Tampa did.

Poll: What Will Giants Do At No. 4?

April 21st, 2020 at 2:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the variance in this draft’s top three picks may be low, the Giants could go in a number of directions at No. 4 overall. They have been connected to several different strategies.

Picking in the top six for the third straight year (after never landing there from 2005-17), Big Blue has needs at a few places. The Giants could use help on the offensive line and at outside linebacker and safety. Based on the organization’s history and Dave Gettleman‘s impossible-sounding track record featuring zero trade-down maneuvers in seven drafts as either the Panthers or Giants GM, the Giants would be expected to hold their pick at No. 4. But noise about the team moving down has emerged.

Gettleman said this week he is seriously entertaining the prospect of moving down — something he did not strongly consider the past two years when the Giants took Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. The Giants may be going as far as planting a seed about Justin Herbert interest. Gettleman was believed to be higher on Herbert than Jones last year. But with only two teams in the past 38 drafts using back-to-back first-round picks on quarterbacks — the 1982-83 Baltimore Colts and the Cardinals in the past two years — teams do not appear to be buying this.

With Chase Young a lock to be off the board by No. 4 and the Giants not expected to take a cornerback that high, they may be down to tackle or Clemson do-everything defender Isaiah Simmons. The Giants have not gotten what they paid for in Nate Solder and signed stopgap right tackle Cameron Fleming. The latter, however, could be used as a swing man — as he was in New England and Dallas — to open the door for a rookie to start at right tackle.

Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs has been linked to the Giants for several weeks. However, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, massive Louisville blocker Mekhi Becton and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills loom as possibilities as well.

The Giants are evaluating Simmons’ fit. He played everywhere from off-ball linebacker to safety to edge rusher to slot cornerback at Clemson. That kind of rare versatility prompted ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold to label him the draft’s top prospect.

While Simmons could help the Giants in multiple areas, Gettleman has preached offensive line development since arriving in December 2017. They also would be in a better position to address their edge rusher need with more picks, hence the greater interest in trading down.

So where what will the Giants end up doing at No. 4 overall? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Draft Notes: Shenault, Wirfs, Simmons

April 18th, 2020 at 12:55pm CST by Ben Levine

After undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this year, Colorado wideout Laviska Shenault Jr. is almost fully recovered. In a letter sent to all 32 NFL teams, Dr. William Meyers stated that the receiver will be back to 100% by next week.

“I watched Laviska go through regular football drills yesterday at 5 1/2 weeks postop and he looked terrific,” the doctor stated (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). “I believe by April 25, 2020, he will be at 100% for full football activities.”

The receiver decided to undergo surgery following an underwhelming 40-yard dash time. Shenault went under the knife in early March, and recovery was expected to take at least one month.

The 6-foot-1, 227-pound wideout has been on the draft radar for a while, beginning with a 1,011-yard, nine-touchdown 2018 sophomore season. His stats dropped a bit in 2019, but the receiver could still be taken towards the end of the first round.

Let’s check out some more draft notes…

The Giants are among the teams in the top-10 that have done extensive research on Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter). Wirfs seems like a logical target for New York if they end up trading back, but Fowler hints that the Giants could also simply take the lineman with the fourth-overall pick. We previously heard that Dave Gettleman “loves” the 6-5, 322-pound lineman. Our own Zach Links profiled Wirfs earlier this week.
Isaiah Simmons made his name as a linebacker at Clemson, but many teams have told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that they see his future at the safety position. Simmons certainly has the versatility, as he played both positions (along with defensive end and cornerback) during his time in college. Simmons finished last season with 67 tackles, seven sacks, and three interceptions, and there’s a good chance he’ll be a top-10 pick in next week’s draft.
The Colts may target a signal caller in the draft, but GM Chris Ballard says he won’t “force the quarterback position,” (Twitter link Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “It’s got to be the right guy, the right fit,” Ballard continued. “I don’t know when that’s going to happen. Maybe this year, maybe next year, maybe two years from now.” The Colts inked veteran Philip Rivers to a one-year contract this past offseason, and they’re still rostering Jacoby Brissett.

Jets Eyeing OL At No. 11?

April 17th, 2020 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s no secret that the Jets could use some help at wide receiver. And, with the No. 11 pick, they could have the opportunity to take CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy, who stand as the cream of a rich WR crop. Meanwhile, they also need to protect quarterback Sam Darnold (and his spleen), so they could opt for offensive line help in the first round. As Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, the Jets have done their homework on this year’s top big men.

Before the travel restrictions, the Jets had dinner and a private workout with Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, per Pelissero. He also hears that they’ve hosted Louisville’s Mekhi Becton on a top 30 visit and Zoom-chatted with Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. They’re the four best offensive lineman in this year’s class, so there’s no guarantee that any of them will slip to Gang Green. Thomas has also garnered interest from the Dolphins (No. 5), Pelissero hears.

Of that quintet, Wirfs is widely viewed as the most NFL-ready. He also offers serious athleticism for his size (6’5″, 320 pounds), plus versatility. At Iowa, he played primarily at left and right tackle. Pro scouts also believe that he has the ability to move inside and play guard.

The top 10 already has teams in need of line help and other teams are contemplating trades to land one of this year’s best OLs. The Bucs and Broncos have serious interest in moving up the board and they could leapfrog the Jets on Thursday.

NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Tristan Wirfs

April 12th, 2020 at 11:31am CST by Zachary Links

Quality offensive line talent is hard to come by in today’s NFL, but this year’s class is surprisingly strong in that area. Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, potentially, could be the first one off the board.

At 6’5″ and 320 pounds, Wirfs offers uncommon athleticism for his size. Wirfs put those skills to good use for the Hawkeyes, earning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2019. In college, he primarily lined up at right tackle, though he also offers experience on the left side, and some say that he can also work on the interior as a pro.

With a reported 40-yard-dash time of 4.85 seconds and a 625-pound max squat, Wirfs has scouts drooling over his potential. Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. are also pushing to be the first tackle selected, but Wirfs is widely viewed as the most NFL-ready of the bunch.

In all likelihood, the Bengals will kick off the draft by selecting LSU’s Joe Burrow, followed by the Redskins grabbing elite defensive end Chase Young at No. 2. The Lions, at No. 3, are entertaining offers to trade down; any team that moves up will probably use that choice to take a quarterback, or something other than an offensive lineman. But, Wirfs, Wills, and Thomas are all thought to be possibilities for the Giants at No. 4, provided that they don’t move back in the order.

A trade down would make sense for the G-Men, who are also on the hunt for pass rushers, centers, and safeties. However, history suggests that Dave Gettleman will be inclined to stand pat – in five drafts with the Panthers, and two drafts with the Giants, he’s never moved down from his first-round pick. Even if he passes on Wirfs, the Iowa standout won’t have far to fall. The Cardinals have some serious holes to plug on the O-Line as they aim to protect Kyler Murray – with the ability to play on the inside and outside, the No. 8 pick may represent Wirfs’ floor.

Draft Notes: Giants, Wirfs, Morgan, Jets, Bailey, Edwards

April 11th, 2020 at 6:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a ton of discussion about the top three picks in the upcoming draft, but the Giants have been flying slightly more under the radar at number four. While we’ve heard that New York loves versatile Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, the “consensus of sources” that Ralph Vacchiano of SNY spoke to was that the Giants will take an offensive tackle with the fourth pick. Vacchiano adds that they will “quite possibly” take another offensive lineman in the second round. If they did that, it would “likely be a center,” he adds. As for which tackle the Giants will take in what is widely regarded as a strong tackle draft, sources told Vacchiano that Giants GM Dave Gettleman “loves” Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs.

Here’s more from around the league as the draft rapidly approaches:

We know all about the top quarterbacks available, but James Morgan is an unheralded name who has been picking up steam lately. We heard last week that the Patriots were sniffing around and that a handful of other teams were interested in the FIU passer as well. Morgan is “pushing to be a mid-rounder” and has been interviewing well, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapoport also notes that Morgan was interviewing with the Jets on Wednesday. Morgan completed only 58 percent of his passes last year with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions, but his numbers were much better the season before. He appears to be one of this draft’s late risers.
Former Purdue linebacker Markus Bailey got some good medical news, as Rapoport tweets that he recently had his combine re-check and was cleared by the Cardinals’ team doctor. Bailey tore his ACL for the second time back in September. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had him as a fifth-rounder in his most recent mock draft, but maybe this news will boost his stock a little bit.
Speaking of good medical news, Rapoport tweets that former South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards also got some. Edwards fractured the fifth metatarsal in his foot just before the combine, but is now out of his boot and “moving around well,” according to Rapsheet. Rapoport adds that teams have been sent updated scans of his foot, and all appears to be well. Miller had Edwards going early in the fourth-round to the Jets in that same mock draft.

NFC Notes: Scherff, Cook, Winston, Giants

April 11th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

As of right now, Brandon Scherff is set to play next season under the franchise tag. However, the three-time Pro Bowler is confident he’ll sign an extension with the Redskins.

“It’s gone well,” Scherff said of the negotiations (via Kyle Stackpole of Redskins.com). “Just pretty much sat down and talked to my agent — that’s what he’s there for — and I want to sign a long-term deal with them, too. I love it there, and I’ve always said I wanted to be a Redskin for the rest of my career. So, hopefully we can work towards that.”

After becoming the first guard to receive the franchise tag since 2011, Scherff signed his franchise tender relatively quickly. He’s set to make $14.8MM in 2020 under the tag.

Since being selected with the fifth-overall pick in the 2015 draft, Scherff has started all 65 of his regular season appearances. However, he’s been limited to only 19 games over the past two years thanks to a pair of IR trips.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

Running back Dalvin Cook and the Vikings are also in the midst of extension talks, and the 24-year-old has made it clear that he wants to stick in Minnesota. “I definitely love Minnesota,” Cook told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. “I love everything the state has to bring. Being a kid, I was drafted (in 2017) from Miami (his hometown), so I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I actually am happy where I’m at, and I would like to be in Minnesota long term.” After compiling 1,135 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, Cook is set to make a base salary of $1.33MM next season.
Jameis Winston isn’t a bust, says the GM who drafted him. While the Buccaneers were eager to replace the former first-overall pick with a soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback, Jason Licht is still optimistic about Winston’s future in the NFL. “We have a lot of respect for Jameis,” the executive told ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “Jameis was still part of our plan if things went a different route. We’ve got a lot of respect for him. I thought he did a lot of great things, and anybody in our office or building would say the same thing. He did some spectacular things for us. I would never say that, personally — and I think I speak on behalf of the organization — that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.” Last season, Winston led the league in passing yards (5,109) and interceptions (30).
The Giants “love” Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. While the front office has been infatuated with him since well before the combine, there are some who believe the Giants still won’t take him with the fourth-overall pick. In fact, some sources told Vacchiano that they believe the Giants will opt for another lineman in Alabama’s Jedrick Wills or Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.

Draft Notes: Bengals, Burrow, Redskins, Giants, Dolphins, Jets

April 4th, 2020 at 7:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Sports leagues across the world are shutdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the next big event for most fans to tune into is the NFL draft. The league is hoping the draft can serve as a welcomed distraction for the country, and we’ve got a fresh batch of notes on what’s happening from Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. It’s been assumed for a while now that the Bengals will be taking Joe Burrow with the first overall pick, but that apparently isn’t set in stone.

While the expectation is still that Burrow is the pick, there is “a lot of buzz in scouting circles that the Bengals will at least listen to calls” on potential trades for the top choice, Miller writes. Since there’s no one ahead of them, it wouldn’t make all that much sense for the Bengals to be playing games if they weren’t actually planning to listen to inquiries. As of a couple of weeks ago we had heard that the Dolphins were still interested in trading for the first pick and selecting Burrow.

Here’s more on the draft, which will now be held remotely:

New Redskins coach Ron Rivera has said ever since he took the position that Dwayne Haskins won’t just be handed the starting quarterback job and will need to compete. That has led to some rumblings that Washington could use the second overall pick on a quarterback, but that looks like it was all bluster. Sources told Miller that the Redskins are not considering using the pick on a passer, and it continues to look like Ohio State defensive end Chase Young will be the pick.
The Giants are in an interesting spot with the fourth pick, and Miller writes that he’s heard talk out of New York that the team loves Clemson do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons. While Miller has made Simmons the pick in his latest mock draft, he notes there has been “quiet buzz building for Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs“ with the fourth overall pick. The Giants could certainly use an offensive tackle as well as Simmons’ versatility on defense, so either pick would make sense.
Speaking of the Dolphins, if they aren’t able to pull off the shocking trade up for Burrow, their situation is pretty up in the air. Although there has been a ton of talk over the last year linking Miami to Alabama signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa, multiple sources told Miller the team isn’t “convinced Tua is the best option and could instead target Oregon’s Justin Herbert.” In fact, the “buzz around the league is that Herbert has the most fans in the Dolphins’ draft room,” Miller writes. This echoes what Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wrote back in February, when he reported that Miami had an “increasingly positive” view of Herbert and that the Dolphins were concerned about Tagovailoa’s hip as well as his long-term durability.
The Jets lost Robby Anderson in free agency and didn’t do much to replace him or add receiving help outside of signing Breshad Perriman. They could certainly use another wideout and while the sources Miller talked to still expected the Jets to take an offensive tackle with the 11th overall pick, he also learned that the team is very high on Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb put up ridiculous numbers with the Sooners last year, racking up 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.

Jets To Work Out OL Tristan Wirfs

March 8th, 2020 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pre-draft workout season is underway. In need at all three offensive line positions, the Jets will get started on their in-person scouting this week by working out Iowa O-lineman Tristan Wirfs, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes.

One of this draft’s high-end tackle prospects, Wirfs has also been mentioned as a player who could move to guard — like former Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff did upon being a top-five pick. The Jets’ positional view of Wirfs is not yet known, but with Gang Green needing help at tackle and guard, acquiring dependable blocking talent may be more important than landing positional fits.

Wirfs left Iowa after his junior season and wowed the Combine audience. The 320-pound lineman blazed to a 4.85-second 40-yard dash and posted a 36.5-inch vertical jump. Both numbers easily led the offensive line group in Indianapolis.

The Jets have openings at left tackle, right tackle, left guard and center; though, they want to re-sign left guard Alex Lewis. And right guard Brian Winters is a candidate to become a cap casualty. The Jets are linked to multiple high-priced free agent blockers, but new GM Joe Douglas is believed to be targeting this position with the team’s No. 11 overall pick. ESPN’s Todd McShay has Wirfs going off the board at No. 9 to the Jaguars.

Iowa T Tristan Wirfs Declares For Draft

January 14th, 2020 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after Iowa’s first-round edge defender prospect declared for the draft, the Hawkeyes’ Round 1 tackle hopeful did the same. Tristan Wirfs will forgo his senior season to be part of the 2020 draft, he announced (via Instagram).

Wirfs is not rated quite as highly as A.J. Epenesa, with Scouts Inc. tabbing the junior edge blocker as the No. 52 draft-eligible prospect. Wirfs, however, was a first-round mock pick, per ESPN’s Todd McShay, and rates 17th in this class, per Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

Interestingly, Wirfs primarily played right tackle in his Iowa career. He spent all of his 2018 sophomore season on the right side and started nine games there this season, while playing the remainder of the campaign on the left edge. The Iowa native earned Big Ten lineman of the year acclaim this season.

Wirfs joins a stronger-than-usual tackle class this year. Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Alabama’s Jedrick Willis look set to go off the board early in this draft. No draft has seen three tackles go in the first half of the first round since 2016, when Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin and Laremy Tunsil were off the board by No. 13.