Solid Starter
Kyle Trask, QB, Florida – Round 2 
The Buccaneers have two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in franchise history, Brad Johnson and Tom Brady. Both of them were big quarterbacks with quality arms, excellent accuracy, intelligence, toughness, pocket presence, and size. Those same attributes are the strengths of Trask, and like those championship quarterbacks, Trask has a lack of mobility. Tampa Bay can only hope that Kyle Trask will follow in their footsteps with championship success, and with his skill set, it would not surprise me if Trask emerges as a quality starter similar to Johnson. Brad Johnson was the comparison we used for Trask in our player preview/scouting report, and I think Trask could end up being a similar caliber pro to what Johnson was.
There is no doubt that the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Trask has well developed pocket-passing ability. He shows excellent pocket presence, and if given time, he can dangerously carve up a defense from there. Trask has a strong arm capable of making all the throws. Trask can push the ball vertically downfield and is an accurate passer. He shows good timing and precision on his throws to lead receivers to yards after the catch. Thanks to his solid accuracy, Trask is able to loft in throws into tight windows and beat good coverage through the location of his passes. Trask does a really nice job of varying his velocity to throw a very catchable ball, and he also shows an ability to put air underneath his passes to loft in touch balls downfield. Trask can be a bit conservative, tending to underthrow a pass to ensure the reception is made rather than risking an incompletion by sailing the ball over the head of his receivers.
Trask’ thick build and good height helps him hang tough in the pocket, stand tall and survey the field with advanced field vision. He works beyond his primary read and sees the field well. Considering his offensive line at Florida was average, his poise and patience were impressive. Trask will make throws with rushers bearing down on him, and he doesn’t get rattled from taking hits. Trask is an excellent pocket passer, and if he were a better athlete with more running ability, Trask would have been a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
While Trask is not a dual-threat running quarterback, he was willing to run with the Gators, and they called a lot of design runs for him. Trask is just not a good athlete or quick moving in the pocket, so defenders easily chase him down with ease when he gets on the move. Trask will struggle to avoid the rush and can’t serve as a running threat in the professional ranks. For the NFL, Trask is a statue, and improving his pocket manipulation to glide around in the pocket is one of his most important points of emphasis. Brady is a master at that. While Brady is not a runner, he is fabulous at climbing or sliding in the pocket to find an extra second for him to get the ball out. Trask landed with a perfect example in Brady to watch and learn from.
Off the field, Trask earns rave reviews from team sources. “Trask is a phenomenal kid,” said an area scout. “He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve came across, and he’s just a team player. Handles himself like a pro and puts in all the work needed and goes above and beyond. I can’t give anyone a higher recommendation than him.”
Brady is in place to be Tampa Bay’s starter in 2022, and he could easily play for the organization beyond that. Sitting behind Brady and learning from him was a likely the dream landing spot for Trask. It might take a few years, but Trask could eventually emerge as a solid starter for Tampa Bay.
2020: Antoine Winfield Jr., S
2019: Mike Edwards, S
2018: Vita Vea, DT
2017: Chris Godwin, WR
2016: Roberto Aguayo, K
2015: Ali Marpet, G/C
2014: Mike Evans, WR
2013: Akeem Spence, DT
Most Likely To Bust
Robert Hainsey, OT, Notre Dame – Round 3 
This was a difficult projection because none of the Bucs’ early-round picks look like a major risk to be a bust. Hainsey might be the riskiest for not panning out for a few reasons. First, the Buccaneers are set at the offensive tackle position for years to come with Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs. Their interior offensive line is also set, so Hainsey is likely relegated to being a backup.
Hainsey (6-4, 306) is undersized for a tackle and has very short arms – 32.13 inches. He is also not a great athlete and has average strength. I could see Hainsey topping out as a player whp is just a backup, and eventually the Bucs and/or other teams will look for a backup with a better skill set and more upside.
2020: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB
2019: Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB
2018: Alex Cappa, G
2017: Justin Evans, S
2016: Noah Spence, DE
2015: Donovan Smith, OT
2014: Charles Sims, RB
2013: William Gholston, DE
Potential Boom Pick
Joe Tryon, OLB, Washington – Round 1 
The defending champions have a loaded roster and did not enter the 2021 NFL Draft with any real needs after re-signing all of their relevant free agents. The Bucs were fortunate where they had the luxury to take a best player available approach and were able to land a player who makes great sense for helping to repeat as Super Bowl champions and also become a long-term starter to help stabilize a critical position for many years to come. Tryon was an astute pick and an excellent value for the franchise.
As a pass rusher, Tryon (6-5, 262) has talent for the next level with a good combination of height, length, and speed off the edge. He displays a good get-off, firing off the ball and getting upfield. Tryon is active and skilled at using his hands and feet at the same time while keeping his eyes on the quarterback. Tryon shows a nice variety in pass-rushing moves, using an arm over, spin move, and he sets up tackles well to cut to the inside or outside. Tryon thrives off of space, and when he gets free, he flashes real pursuit skills with speed to close quickly. When Tryon gets blockers hands off of him and finds a crease, quarterbacks are in real trouble. Tryon also gives a good second effort and plays with a quality motor.
Tryon needs more refinement for the NFL, which is understandable given he played one season of college football. He should get better as he gains experience. That being said, Tryon needs to continue to develop his pass-rushing moves and make them more effective. When Tryon breaks loose, he eats up space quickly with his speed and closes well on the quarterback, but getting off blocks is his biggest point of improvement for the next level.
Tryon needs to improve as a run defender for the NFL. He can get pushed backward in the ground game from offensive linemen getting under his pads and even riding him around at times. Like many tall defenders, Tryon gets in trouble when he stands up too high. He needs to play with better leverage and stay lower to make him more stout as a run defender. Tryon also needs to improve his ability to shed blocks so he can use his pursuit skills to get to the ball-carrier.
In Tampa Bay, Tryon has the luxury of learning behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. Tryon can play and rotate into the game in non-critical situations to help keep the veterans fresh for vital third downs and the fourth quarter. Even though Tryon is not a great run defender, he can help cut down on the snap counts of the veterans in run situations to help keep them fresh and hopefully avoid injury. Tryon can learn plays and a variety of pass-rushing moves from the veterans while doing so in an environment without the pressure or expectations to be an immediate impact starter. This is an ideal developmental situation for Tyron to learn from these veterans and eventually take over as a starter for Pierre-Paul after he ages out. In the long term, Tryon could offer become a boom pick for Tampa Bay given his upside, skill set, and tremendous developmental situation.
2020: Tristan Wirfs, RT
2019: Devin White, LB
2018: Ronald Jones, RB
2017: O.J. Howard, TE
2016: Vernon Hargreaves, CB
2015: Jameis Winston, QB
2014: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE
2013: Johnathan Banks, CB
Future Depth Player
Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas – Round 4 
Darden was one of the steals of the 2021 NFL Draft, and WalterFootball.com knew a number of teams were eyeing him for their fifth-round pick. Tampa Bay snatched him up before he got out of the fourth round, which was an astute move. Darden is small, but he is fast, shifty, and dynamic as a slot receiver. While he may not have the size to be a starter in base, he could become a really good third receiver. Some sources from other teams think he could be a Cole Beasley-type slot receiver in the NFL. Darden could replace Antonio Brown as the Bucs’ slot wideout in 2022 and end up being an excellent value pick.
2020: Tyler Johnson, WR
2019: Anthony Nelson, DE
2018: Justin Watson, WR
2017: Kendell Beckwith, LB
2016: Devante Bond, LB
2015: Kwon Alexander, LB
2014: Robert Herron, S
2013: Mike Glennon, QB
32. Joe Tryon, DE, Washington – A Grade
I’m loving these high-upside pass rushers at the end of the first round. Joe Tryon has immense upside, but he’s raw and inexperienced. The good thing with this pick is that Tryon won’t necessarily be needed right away because Tampa Bay has Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul ahead of him. However, Pierre-Paul is in the twilight of his career, and Tryon could be a dominant player in 2022 and beyond.
64. Kyle Trask, QB, Florida – C- Grade
Meh. I get it. The Buccaneers had no successor for Tom Brady. And Kyle Trask makes sense at the end of the second round, though I had him going in the third frame in my final update. The thing is, Tampa is all in for winning now, so I think the Buccaneers could have waited until the third round for a quarterback and spent this pick on a player to help this year.
95. Robert Hainsey, OT/G, Notre Dame – B Grade
I like this pick more for the Buccaneers than the previous one. Everyone is returning for Tampa Bay, so the question is, how could things unravel for them? The easiest answer, besides an injury to Tom Brady, is multiple offensive linemen missing action. Adding blocking depth and a future starter up front is a smart decision at this juncture.
129. Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas – A- Grade
There was a stretch last year when the Buccaneers lost some games because they didn’t have any healthy receivers. They’re making sure that doesn’t happen again. Jaelon Darden is a legitimate sleeper. He’ll be able to see more of the field in 2022 when the Buccaneers inevitably move on from Antonio Brown.
176. K.J. Britt, LB, Auburn – B Grade
K.J. Britt is a two-down linebacker because he’s going to struggle in coverage, but we’re nearing the end of the fifth round, so it’s OK to take a player like that with this pick. Britt will help in run support.
251. Chris Wilcox, CB, BYU – B+ Grade
I didn’t have Chris Wilcox mocked, but his upside is intriguing. He’s a big cornerback (6-2, 198) with great athleticism (he ran 4.39 in the 40.) The Buccaneers are swinging for the fences with Wilcox’s potential.
259. Grant Stuard, LB, Houston – A Grade
Mr. Irrelevant definitely looks relevant to me. I had Grant Stuard in the fourth or fifth rounds of most of my mock draft updates, so I’m surprised he lasted until the final pick. The Buccaneers did well to help their linebacker depth and special teams.
2021 NFL Draft Team Grade: B+. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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