Up, Down or Stay: Iowa State OT Tristan Wirfs remains a likely top-15 pick

Still trying to decide who the top offensive tackle is in the 2020 NFL draft?

Georgia’s Andrew Thomas got the ball rolling, as he was commonly listed as the top offensive tackle in many of the first mock drafts this past season. Then you saw Alabama’s Jedrick Wills listed by many analysts as OT1A. These days, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton is tabbed as the No. 1 tackle by many draft analysts.

But the one tackle whose draft stock has steadily remained near the top of most mock drafts is Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs.

Roy Larking, who covers gambling for Sports Illustrated, put it pretty succinctly:

“… Wirfs takes up a lot of space on the line plus he grades well in pass protection and run blocking.”

https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1233529075630735361

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound junior also had what many analysts consider the best Combine performance ever for an offensive lineman. How good was he? Check out these results:

• 40 time: His time of 4.85 seconds is the fastest-ever for a player weighing 320 pounds or more.
• Vertical: His jump of 36.5 inches is the best-ever for an offensive lineman
• Broad jump: His broad jump of 121 inches (10 feet, 1 inch) is tied for the best-ever for an offensive lineman.

According to BetOnline, Wirfs (+105) is currently the odds-on favorite to be the first OT drafted, followed by Becton (+180), Wills (+330) and Thomas (+1400).

Analysts say five to seven tackles could be drafted in the first round.

Jake Rigdon (jake@sydwriting.com) covers the NFL draft for Fanspeak and the On The Clock, which is the only NFL draft simulator that allows you to customize and use your own big board while giving you control over trades.