Roundtable: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFL Draft Analysis

Five questions about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFL Draft class, answered by AllBucs' panel of writers.

The AllBucs staff has been gathered for a roundtable to answer five pressing questions about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2021 NFL Draft class.

What was Tampa Bay's best pick?

Zach Goodall: EDGE Joe Tryon

Not only does Tryon fill a future need, but he projects to take the field for meaningful snaps at his position as a rookie. I'm personally a big fan of Tryon as a prospect, but from the previously-mentioned perspective alone, that's a major win for this Buccaneers' team. Time will tell if Tryon will become good enough to start opposite of Shaquil Barrett (I think he will), but he can offer Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul a much-needed breather in sub-packages in 2021 while hopefully continuing to pile up pressure off of the edge.

Jason Beede: EDGE Joe Tryon

I’m not picking Tryon as the “best pick” just because he was drafted in the first round, but rather I do genuinely believe he is the best pick the Bucs made this past weekend. Chances are if Tryon had played in 2020 and not opted out, the preseason All-American could have been a top ten pick if he had a special season last year. Despite opting out this year, Tryon still had a great 2019 season recording 41 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks in 13 games. He won’t have to immediately be “the guy” in Tampa Bay but for him to be able to learn under a guy like Shaq Barett and be a part of the defensive line rotation, will be huge. Tryon is a freak athlete with good speed and can bully offensive linemen who are in his way.

Donavon Keiser: WR Jaelon Darden

Finding Jaelon Darden available at pick 129 was an absolute steal, and if you want a quick way to find out why just pull up his highlights from North Texas. Darden is electric in the open field, making defenders miss left and right with an excellent display of speed and quickness, allowing his yards after the catch to be the best in the NCAA behind first-rounder Devonta Smith. If it can translate to the next level, Darden will set the league on fire within the next few seasons once he is fully involved in the Tampa Bay offense. 

Which Buccaneers rookie plays first in a meaningful role?

ZG: WR Jaelon Darden

I'm predicting that Darden will emerge as the starter for one if not both of the Buccaneers' return specialist gigs in the preseason - that, or he may not make the roster provided the team's loaded wide receiver room. With that being said, it's hard to imagine anyone else starts as a rookie, leaving Darden with the best shot to play first in a meaningful role. He's got the speed and elusiveness to handle the job.

JB: WR Jaelon Darden

This one was tough because there are a lot of directions I could have gone in. While I could see Tryon getting meaningful snaps first, I feel like Darden will be able to see the field and contribute on special teams. This speedster out of North Texas feels like a steal for the Bucs in the fourth round. Tampa Bay really didn’t do much in the return game on their way to the Super Bowl this past year and Darden has the athletic ability to change that as soon as possible. While it might be more likely to see Tryon first, I feel like Darden has a great chance to make a meaningful impact and become a secret weapon for the Bucs as a rookie.

DK: EDGE Joe Tryon

With Kyle Trask taking plenty of time to learn behind Tom Brady and Jaelon Darden stuck behind a plethora of other wide receivers, I have to pick Joe Tryon, as he should contribute early and often as a plug-and-play pass rusher early in his career. With the potential of Jason Pierre-Paul not returning after next year, Tryon should find himself thrust into a role that replaces Pierre-Paul after one season of development. With that being said, I am going to pick Tryon as he has the highest chance of playing early in a position that is as meaningful as they come. 

Which rookie will make the biggest impact in their Bucs career?

ZG: EDGE Joe Tryon or OL Robert Hainsey

The easiest prediction here for me is Tryon, because replacing Pierre-Paul will come as no easy task although I believe Tryon has the intangibles to become a dependable and playmaking edge rusher. Therefore, I'll go with Hainsey. 

Hainsey has 46 games and over 2,600 snaps under his belt from his time on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's offensive line, widely regarded as one of the most well-coached units in college football. His technique is up to par as such which raises his floor as a prospect, even though he isn't agile enough to continue playing outside. So long as his transition from tackle to the interior goes as smoothly as it seemed to at the Senior Bowl, Hainsey should earn a starting role shortly after the 2021 season and could comfortably lead a long career on the Buccaneers' offensive line.

JB: OL Robert Hainsey

While Kyle Trask might be looked at by some as the future at quarterback for the Bucs, we just don’t know how soon that will happen and if he plays well at the next level. With that in mind, I chose Hainsey as the one pick who will make the biggest impact in their overall career in Tampa Bay. Hainsey is a developmental guy for the Bucs but will be versatile as he learns to play to guard and center. If Hainsey becomes an all-around great offensive lineman and plays multiple positions well for the Bucs, I see him having a big impact throughout the years in Tampa Bay.

DK: QB Kyle Trask

Although it is hard to say this early who will have a major impact down the road, I have to say Kyle Trask. This is a boom-or-bust pick as Trask may never see the field in a Buccaneers uniform depending on the length of Tom Brady's career, but I'm going to roll with it because I am confident in the coaching staff to put Trask in the right position to succeed down the road following Brady's departure. 

The former Florida quarterback will have plenty of time to learn under the greatest quarterback of all time, and will also get time to adjust to a strong NFL defense in practice for years to come. Not to mention, the quarterback is the most important position on the offensive side of the ball, so if Trask hits as a prospect he will naturally emerge as a huge impact player in pewter and red. 

Who is Tampa Bay's biggest sleeper pick?

ZG: CB Chris Wilcox

Wilcox had injury issues and troubles with consistency in coverage at Brigham Young, but from a physical and athletic standpoint, he's a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' scheme. Nearly 6-foot-2 with over 31.5-inch arms, having clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, 37.5-inch vertical and 126-inch broad at BYU's pro day, Wilcox was the ultimate upside selection in the seventh round that has the athletic potential to become a contributor - so long as his injury history doesn't stand in the way.

JB: Chris Wilcox

It’s probably easy to pick one of the two seventh-round draft selections as the “biggest sleeper,” but Wilcox will be overlooked coming out of BYU. If I had to guess, everyday football fans would only be able to name quarterback Zach Wilson if they were asked to list top BYU prospects in this year’s draft. And that’s okay, Wilson was of course the No. 2 overall pick. As for Wilcox, cornerback was a position of need for the Bucs and he’ll be able to provide solid depth. He is tall, lengthy, and fast and is a perfect fit for the Bucs. Wilcox has an opportunity to make his name known early if he can put in the work at cornerback at the next level and likely contribute on special teams as well.

DK: WR Jaelon Darden

The Darden pick was one that I loved, and it is clear that the front office felt the same way as they traded up to steal Darden off the board at pick 129. Although his size at 5-foot-8, 174 pounds may be a concern, Darden is as quick as lightning and has excellent playmaking ability on both the offensive and special team's unit. After running a 6.66 three-cone drill and a 4.46 40 yard dash, Darden upped his stock even more once he tested, despite his smaller stature. 

Darden could be a potential return man down the road and could even find reps in as a slot receiver the way he did in college. Looking into the future, it is unlikely that the Buccaneers retain both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin long term, so I'd expect Darden to play a bigger role if one of those two is no longer in the Bay area. 

How would you grade Tampa Bay's class overall?

ZG: C (my grade comes directly from Monday's Buccaneers' draft report card)

The Buccaneers could have come away with a couple more players who could play immediately, even on such a talented roster. However, there was a clear approach to addressing future needs and from that perspective, Tampa Bay did a good job. It found a potential future starting edge rusher, quarterback, and interior offensive lineman while adding some depth at linebacker and in the secondary, as well as a return specialist. In which case, the class gets an average grade that could improve in hindsight. If players such as Tryon, Trask, and Hainsey turn into long-term starters down the line, a re-grade of this class would probably earn an A. 

JB: B-

Taking a step back and looking at this class overall, there doesn’t seem to be one real head-scratcher of a pick. That being said, the Bucs probably could have gone a different direction with a number of these selections, but the franchise did a solid job addressing some needs and preparing for the future. And that makes sense for a team fresh off of a Super Bowl championship returning all 22 starts next season. Sure the team could have taken guys who could play tomorrow but that’s not what was needed. It really depends on how the picks pan out down the road. For now, I’ll grade this draft class a B- and will sit back and watch it all play out.

DK: B

For Tampa, the plan for this draft was to build depth for the future, and they did exactly that. Bringing back 22 starters from a Super Bowl team is never easy, but the front office got the band back together for at least another year, hoping to be the first NFL team to repeat since 2003-04 New England Patriots. 

While maintaining everyone, the Buccaneers needed to build depth behind many players on one-year deals, and they did just that at the most important positions on the field. Edge rusher, quarterback, and offensive line were the first things to be addressed, and the only positions not filled were running back, which come at a dime a dozen in the NFL, and defensive line. 

The front office had their goals set before the draft and met each of them by acquiring speed and special teamers, a backup quarterback to Brady, and a high-profile land in their first-rounder Joe Tryon.