Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFL Draft Report Card: Grading Each Pick

Handing out grades for each of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2021 NFL Draft picks.

We'll waste no time with the introduction: Below, you'll find grades for each of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' seven 2021 NFL Draft picks, along with an overall class grade at the bottom.

It should be kept in mind, Tampa Bay returns each and every starter from its Super Bowl run a year ago and is aiming for a consecutive title. As seen in 2020, rookies can field a major role on championship teams (Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. come to mind), and while starting spots aren't up for grabs, some rotational and key depth roles are open.

Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington

If Tryon hadn't opted out of the 2020 season and instead built upon his sophomore production this past year, he might have been the first edge rusher off the board in his class (which came at pick No. 18).

Standing at 6-foot-5, 259 pounds with great speed and all-around athleticism to go with raw power and impressive length, Tryon physically looks and plays like the new-age 3-4 linebacker that consistently puts pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In his one season as a starter at Washington, he put a QB in the dirt eight times.

That analysis is a double-edged sword, however. Tryon may have been worth a top-20 pick with a junior season's worth of tape and improvement which would have made him an incredible value at No. 32. But that tape isn't available, and no one can tell how missing a season of development will impact Tryon or any rookie quite yet - making the selection a bit of a risky one.

Finding a third edge rusher and future heir to Jason Pierre-Paul was a priority for the Bucs though, and four such prospects had been selected between picks No. 21 and No. 31, including three of the four selections right before their pick. Everything will depend on how Tryon adjusts to the speed of the NFL after a year away from the game, but you can't blame the Bucs for coveting his upside at a position of need. Particularly when you consider the run on edge rushers in Tampa Bay's range.

Grade: A-

Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

I actually really love Trask's fit in Tampa Bay given how Bruce Arians' offense was tweaked to Tom Brady's strengths a year ago - anticipation and accuracy are two strengths of Trask's game, and he throws a decent deep ball with touch instead of great velocity similarly to Brady's long passes. Trask is far from a mobile quarterback, but he improved greatly at moving within the pocket to avoid pressure and make throws in his second season as a starter in 2020.

Trask is also vastly familiar with the backup role and thrived emerging from it (if you haven't heard Trask's one-of-a-kind story of college football success, read this). That should provide some hope that he'll do it again when his time to take the field in Tampa Bay comes about.

At the same time, this pick could have been used on a prospect at a position with snaps available this year as the Buccaneers attempt to make another Super Bowl run. Unless Brady suffers an injury in 2021, it's hard to image Trask will ever throw a meaningful pass this season. 

Tryon is firmly behind Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett on the Bucs' depth chart, but he'll surely earn defensive snaps in subpackages. There's still room to improve the Buccaneers' cornerback depth as 2020 undrafted free agent Herb Miller and 2021 seventh-round pick Chris Wilcox are Tampa Bay's only backups outside - Ross Cockrell played 35 snaps outside compared to 209 in the nickel within the defensive back rotation last season.

Linebacker K.J. Britt, taken in the fifth round, even told media that defensive coordinator Todd Bowles told him "to be ready to play."

Whether it would have been a cornerback, linebacker, safety, even a defensive lineman, the Buccaneers may have been better-suited to have targeted a depth piece at No. 64 that could have made an impact in 2021. The hope is Trask will make a big impact in 2022 or 2023, but he won't contribute much toward another potential title this year.

Grade: C+

Robert Hainsey, OL, Notre Dame

Offensive line wasn't included in the list of depth targets above because, much like quarterback, it's hard to imagine any prospect up front taking the field on offense unless an injury pops up. Unlike quarterback, though, injuries across the offensive line unit are far more common.

That all being said, this selection was close to day three territory and the future of the offensive line did need to be addressed. Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa have one year remaining on their contracts, while Aaron Stinnie is Tampa Bay's only (somewhat) proven backup along the interior.

Hainsey exclusively played right tackle at Notre Dame but his lack of length foreshadows a move to the interior. Bucs general manager Jason Licht shared the team's belief in Hainsey's upside as a guard or center after he was selected, and given Stinnie's experience playing guard for Tampa Bay in the playoffs, Hainsey feels like an heir to Jensen as the man in the middle of the line. 

Coming from Notre Dame, Hainsey has received great coaching and should handle a transition well due to his knowledge of technique. He could require some time to develop inside before taking the field, though.

Grade: B+

Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas

Darden is one of the smallest wide receivers in the NFL upon entry at 5-7 and 5/8 inches, 174 pounds with 30 and 5/8-inch arms. He's pretty athletic having clocked a 4.46 40-yard dash, a 35.5-inch vertical, a 122-inch broad, and an elite 6.67 3-cone, but in a year where athletic testing results were more impressive than ever, his feel a bit average - especially for a receiver of his size.

In spite of that, Darden's unique athleticism showed up on tape. Darden might have an argument with now-New York Giants receiver Kadarius Toney as the most elusive player in college football over the past couple of years. 

Licht envisions Darden emerging as a returner for the Buccaneers. That will have to happen immediately to make the selection worthwhile as Darden currently projects as the team's No. 6 receiver, at best. Taking on the size and speed of NFL defenders makes Darden's projection a bit cloudy, but he's electric with the ball in his hands and the Buccaneers were willing to take a risk on his size for his playmaking ability.

Grade: C

K.J. Britt, LB, Auburn

Britt is undersized in every category for linebacker prospect, much like Buccaneers starting middle linebacker Devin White. Britt isn't the athlete that White is, though, which makes his NFL projection a bit limited.

Lavonte David tallied over 1,000 regular season snaps last year while White fell seven short of that mark, so it's understandable that Tampa Bay looked for linebackers who can award the two starters an occasional breather. Kevin Minter is the only other inside linebacker on the roster with playing experience.

Britt's stout frame (6-foot and 1/2 inch, 235 pounds), lack of ideal athleticism for coverage, and college-career 74.1 completion percentage allowed (per Pro Football Focus) suggest that he would best serve in an early-down rotation to contribute to Tampa Bay's run defense. He did that well at Auburn and is thumper coming downhill. 

Don't expect Britt to play much defensively, but there could be an opportunity for him to take the field on run downs as he develops over the next two years.

Grade: C+

Chris Wilcox, CB, Brigham Young

Tampa Bay badly needed to address its cornerback depth in this draft and it was a bit curious to see the team wait until the seventh round to do it. Cockrell may be able to play outside, but Tampa Bay rarely asked the seven-year veteran to in his first season with the team. Miller, meanwhile, has 17 career defensive snaps to his name.

Wilcox is an interesting prospect because he meets the prototype of a Buccaneers cornerback perfectly: Tall (6-1 and 5/8), long (31 5/8 inch arms), and fast (4.39-second 40-yard dash). Wilcox's jumps and 10-yard split (check out his full athletic profile here) indicate solid explosiveness as well. However, he comes with a lingering ankle injury concern after going down for the season in 2018, then redshirting his 2019 season as well.

In the seventh-round, it's alright to take a chance on a high-caliber athlete, even if he has an injury history or needs to sharpen his technique as Wilcox does. Wilcox never recorded an interception in college, but if he stays healthy, he has a chance to develop his game and pick off some passes in Tampa Bay given the team's lack of depth outside.

Grade: B-

Grant Stuard, LB, Houston

It's hard to understand this pick after the Buccaneers already selected an undersized and less-than-ideal athlete for the linebacker position in the fifth round. Other than hand-size, Stuard ranks below the tenth percentile in every physical category of the NFL's athletic testing. Stuard is also a bit stiff in coverage, meaning he'll have to compete with Britt for early-down snaps. 

The importance of Stuard, Britt, Wilcox and other's additions will be to improve the team's special teams units, as Arians has aimed for all offseason. If Stuard is able to make the roster, which we doubt, he'll have to make an impact on special teams in order to stick around.

Grade: D

Overall grade: C

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 pf 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.