Senior Bowl Standout
May 1st, 2021
Bucs OL Robert Hainsey.
Bucs fans likely remember the Legend of Ali Marpet.
The Bucs left guard went to Division-III Hobart College and was virtually unknown but to a few in the scouting community. He went to the Senior Bowl and blew up and became sort of a football legend.
When Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht selected Marpet in the second round of the 2015 draft, it was the highest a Division-III player had ever been selected.
Robert Hainsey’s background is the opposite, but he also used the Senior Bowl as a springboard to get drafted by the Bucs in the third round Friday night.
Hainsey had 34 starts under his belt for Notre Dame — the polar opposite of a football factory from Hobart. All of Hainsey’s starts came at right tackle.
When he was invited to the Senior Bowl, he was told, get ready to play at guard and center. While many guys, especially from a blue blood program like Notre Dame, would have balked, not Hainsey. He jumped at the chance to learn a couple of new positions.
And it is there, green as grass at center and guard, that Hainsey held his own and the result was Hainsey got on the radar of NFL general managers.
And Licht pounced Friday night.
“As far as my versatility, I think it is a huge advantage for me,” Hainsey said from his Pittsburgh home last night. “I went down to the Senior Bowl not having played those positions before, not in a practice or a game or anything. I’m confident in my abilities as a football player. So I was really excited to get down there and showcase that.
“People wanted to see (Hainsey play guard and center) and I had a lot of fun doing it. That was a great experience for me and it helped me a ton to get where I am at.”
Hainsey said he has a one-track mind. He’s about football. Just point him where to play and he will attack it.
“I’m not a wrestler, I’m just a football player,” Hainsey said. “That’s what I do. I spent a lot of time working on that stuff. It really translates across the line. As soon as I learned I would have to start working on [guard and center] I started working on them.”
Licht mentioned that right now, Hainsey looks to be a guard or center but Licht is not ruling him out as a tackle.
As for being on the same offense as Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Tristan Wirfs and others, Hainsey summed it up in one sentence he often repeated.
“It’s a great honor.”
May 1st, 2021 at 5:09 am
Welcome to the Bucs Robert.
I have a feeling Brady is going to love this guy. Licht does it again.
Go Bucs!!!
May 1st, 2021 at 6:31 am
Seems like a very good pick.
May 1st, 2021 at 6:33 am
I love this pick, but since he is short armed and lacks a lot of lateral movement, he is going to end up as a guard or even a back up center. Needs to gain a few pounds to play an inside position. This guy is a sleeper.
May 1st, 2021 at 6:53 am
It is a pleasure to watch a young GM develop into the game’s best GM. His early years may have driven us nuts, but now, he is a special leader. He is uncanny in finding diamonds. Good job, JL. And, for that matter, thanks to JBF for providing incredible coverage and details that only elite sports guys provide.
May 1st, 2021 at 6:58 am
This guy has great credentials…..and, appears….versatility…..that’s what we need from a 3rd rd Oline pick….likely a very good pick….i trust JL with this.
May 1st, 2021 at 7:01 am
Adding OL depth was a great move. Haeg was like the only FA we lost so it makes sense to address OT
May 1st, 2021 at 7:12 am
We will see if quinn meinerz becomes the next ali marpet
Hey i trust the coaches
Just they could have traded back an entire round to still get this guy
Projected around 175 pick – which is 5 or 6th round
Its all about value.
Its not about drafting a guy in the first round who no team will touch until the third round
I have a feeling this guy will be joe haeg replacement when they bring in 6 offensive lineman. Lets see if he can catch a ball in endzone. 😂
May 1st, 2021 at 7:15 am
But i did find bleacher report or one site gave this pick an A so who knows
You know how jason licht likes captains and guys who love football
I just read a few places that this guy is a below average athlete?
May 1st, 2021 at 7:28 am
A bigger and more talented Zuttah?
May 1st, 2021 at 7:37 am
Rich bucs that is spot on! Thanks Joe Buc for all the hard work you do in giving us the best info on our beloved Buccaneers! 👍👍
May 1st, 2021 at 7:45 am
Jason Says:
May 1st, 2021 at 7:28 am
A bigger and more talented Zuttah
<<<<<&<<
He's bigger but definitely not more talented. Zuttah was a physical specimen. Nearly 300 lbs and ran 4.85 40. He could run and move. So basically, your comparison is very poor. Zuttah was an excellent athlete but small. This guy isn't a great athlete but larger. Also, Zuttah played LT in college. There's really no comparison other than they were both OL. You might as well call him a shorter Jeremy Trueblood or a lighter Jerry Wunsch.
May 1st, 2021 at 7:56 am
Basing it purely on the versatility aspect. Zuttah played a bunch of different positions for us, then went on to play center for the Ravens if I remember correctly. I can see this guy doing the same for us, and then taking over for Jensen. Give him and Trask a chance to develop together.
May 1st, 2021 at 7:59 am
Jason … ‘A bigger and more talented Zuttah?’ Uh, Jeremy Zuttah was also a 3rd Rnd pick, but I’m not sure I’d call Hainsey ‘bigger & more talented’. Zuttah was 6’4″ & 303 lbs, while Hainey is 6’4 1/2″ & 306 lbs (pretty close to the same size). As far as Hainsey being ‘more talented’ goes, Zuttah played 9 years with 117 starts (76 with us & 41 with Baltimore). That’s not too shabby IMO.
Hainsey wasn’t even rated in Walter Football’s Top-32 OLine prospects, and MAYBE for a reason. NFL.com has him rated at 5.90 (on 10 pt scale) as a ‘backup/special teamer’; was projected as a Rnd 4-5 pick. Played tackle his whole career with the Irish (3-yr starter & 2-yr captain). But looking at his perceived weaknesses I can see why they rated him as a ‘backup/special teamer’…
o Top-heavy with lean legs.
o Below-average athlete.
o Will struggle getting to backside cut-off blocks.
o Average power as a drive blocker.
o Lacks quickness to side and square off the top of the rush.
o Leaves himself wide open to spin counters.
o Will lean into rushers when he fears their power.
o Has trouble catching his feet up with his eyes.
o Below-average athletic recovery talent.
Bottom line to me Jason is that he’d have a lot of ‘growing’ to do before he’d match Zuttah, who was after all a 9-year NFL starter. And I wouldn’t be expecting him to replace Ryan Jensen either any time soon. Let’s give him a couple of years and see how he develops.
May 1st, 2021 at 8:20 am
Perfect, a guy that makes up for the God given super power so many top picks have with grit , determination , hard work and relentless effort. Much better feet than the future WWE giant that went a few picks before. I pray he never has to line up as tackle however, C/G is is future.
May 1st, 2021 at 8:33 am
@SB~LV: There is no god.
May 1st, 2021 at 8:43 am
Was Cappa our last small school O lineman? Cappa is a good NFL guard, but it took him two years to get to that point. These kids like Wirfs, and Hainsey, who play big time football are just more ready. By the time Cappa got it, his contract is almost up. Now we don’t have to pay him.
May 1st, 2021 at 8:44 am
I love this pi8ck! He will be a great rotation player should anyone get hurt.
May 1st, 2021 at 8:45 am
He will replace Jensen when his contract expires at Center.
May 1st, 2021 at 9:17 am
He’s not a Big Ugly.
He’s a Big Smart Ugly.
May 1st, 2021 at 9:20 am
@RayJay1122: or motivate Jensen for a cap-friendly extension.
I’d be surprised if Jensen can command $10mil at 32 on the open center market in ’22.
May 1st, 2021 at 10:30 am
JL knows lineman he’s bin doing it for years now pulling no name players from no name schools and making them starters Ali and cappa. I believe this guy will be just like them.
May 1st, 2021 at 11:41 am
Most starting NFL lineman NEVER make the ProBowl or are known by fans outside of their own division
Nothing really to see here , it’ll come out in the wash
May 3rd, 2021 at 11:14 pm
What stands out to me is he has skinny legs for a lineman.