There is no greater ingredient for success in the NFL than a team having a true franchise player.

Sure, it's great to have depth throughout the roster. Balance is also nice.

But nothing beats a true franchise cornerstone that an organization can build a team around. If you're lucky, that player is your quarterback. However, it can be a dominant edge rusher, a stud wide receiver or running back, or a terrific left tackle who can protect his QB's blind side. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the very best tackles in the league in Tristan Wirfs. With Wirfs as the anchor, the Bucs' offensive line could be the team's biggest strength.

Wirfs was recently ranked as the 22nd best player in the NFL by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. Still just 27 years old, he has a lot of great football ahead of him and is near the top of the list of young players any franchise would want to build a team around.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report ranked his top-20 true franchise players in the NFL, with Wirfs coming in at number nine.

For his rankings, Gagnon had some basic guidelines. The players could be no older than 28, still be on the team that drafted them, and have at least one year of NFL experience (no rookies).

Although that makes some of the league's best players ineligible, like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Myles Garrett, the Bucs have possibly the best in the league at one of the game's most important positions.

Almost The Top Non-Quarterback

Of the eight players ranked ahead of Wirfs, seven were quarterbacks. The only one who wasn't was Houston Texans' star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was 8th.

Interestingly, Wirfs ranked one spot ahead of Penei Sewell, who rounded out the top 10. Sewell is two years younger than Wirfs, but has been the Detroit Lions' right tackle his whole career before being switched to the left side for the upcoming season.

That position switch was the deciding factor for Gagnon to rank Wirfs above Sewell.

"On a similar Hall of Fame [as Sewell] track is Wirfs, who has been a first- or second-team All-Pro three times in six seasons and has just seven holding penalties in his entire career. Sewell was PFF's top-graded right tackle in 2025, while Wirfs was the No. 1 left tackle with a 92.7 rating. 

"Sewell and Wirfs have been responsible for a grand total of five sacks since the start of 2024. We rank the Buc one spot ahead of the Lion because the jury is still out on Sewell at left tackle."

Final Thoughts

Although most teams would choose to have their franchise player be a quarterback, having possibly the best left tackle in the league is a fine consolation prize. 

Besides, Bucs' QB Baker Mayfield didn't even qualify for Gagnon's rankings.

Mayfield himself is a franchise quarterback, and having Wirfs protecting his blind side has been key to his success in Tampa.

There are 31 other teams in the NFL, and (at least) 30 of them would rather have Wirfs as their left tackle to build around.

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