Looking Back At The 2021 Draft
June 5th, 2025
Best of 2021 draft?
No one is perfect. And given what transpired in the early months of 2021, there isn’t one Bucs fan who wouldn’t take this deal:
Would you prefer the Bucs win a Super Bowl and blow chunks in the draft two months later or would you prefer a Super Bowl loss and a strong draft two months later?
That is why you will never hear or see Joe whine about the Bucs’ draft of 2021. In fact, but for one backup, there is no evidence on the Bucs roster that the 2021 draft took place.
Jason Kanno of USA Today’s Bucs Wire did a look back at what may have been for the Bucs in the 2021 draft — when the Tampa Bay community was still on a high from Tom Brady leading the Bucs to their second Super Bowl victory.
As the reigning Super Bowl XL champions, the Bucs had fewer resources than most teams in the 2021 draft and failed to capitalize on what little value they had. Taking the swing on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was understandable, but the Trask pick in the second round remains a major blemish. Targeting special teams contributors over more conventional depth proved to be a wasted opportunity to carry the roster past the Tom Brady era. The 2021 class will be remembered as one of Jason Licht’s worst as Bucs general manager, second only to the disastrous 2016 draft class.
Overall, Kanno gave that draft class a D+ grade.
The best of that class? Probably the hated Robert Hainsey. What he couldn’t accomplish on the field he sure did off the field. He was what former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter would have called a “glue guy.”
Tristan Wirfs raved about how much Hainsey helped him and others, as if he were a third offensive line coach. Former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen sort of said the same thing, adding it was not unusual for him to call Hainsey late at night and bounce ideas off his head when crafting a game plan.
So it is no surprise that when Coen left for Jacksonville, he took free agent Hainsey with him.
To his credit, Kyle Trask is the lone member of the 2021 draft class to get a second contract with the Bucs. But let’s be real, unless Baker Mayfield gets hurt, Trask isn’t going to start any time soon.
Was that a whiff of a draft class? Absolutely. But the still-fresh memories of that Super Bowl win and subsequent boat parade two months before that draft make it all worthwhile.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:27 am
This was Tom’s last hoorah!
If Tom went down, were they really going to play a second round rookie QB, or were they going to push speed dial for the agent of a veteran free agent?
June 5th, 2025 at 12:38 am
It’s ok when the next 4 were great.
Mew SB window starts now and runs as long as we draft well.
Gotta go beastly NT round 1 next year.
Then ILB.
Then LG
Then BPA etc.
As long as Goedeke and Wirfs don’t all of a sudden retire, our O Line will be good for 4-5 years at least.
Can you imagine relying on a 2nd round center in Detroit when your center retires at 29. 4 time Pro Bowl center gone.
Bucs gonna eat against the Lions.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:39 am
Trask couldn’t even beat out Blaine “Watch Daddy Sling It” Goobert. But his college stat lovers still think his Florida stats are indicative of his pro potential.
ROTFLMAO.
The gods willing, we will never know “what we have in Trask.”
June 5th, 2025 at 12:39 am
I wish the Bucs could have afforded to keep Hainsey, having a guy who can start at every position on the line, and be a competent starter, is a huge piece to hold in reserve. Hopefully Licht can pull another rabbit out of his hat should we have any injury issues.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:45 am
toopanca – The Bucs had Gabbert backing up Brady in 2021.
I hated the Trask pick at the time, the guy simply did not throw with NFL velocity and was clearly, at best, a project player when the Bucs should have used that pick on depth on the OL, WR, CB or LB – pretty much anywhere but QB.
To Trask’s credit, the Bucs were able to re-teach him how to throw the ball and he added velocity – and his preseason tape last year looked quite good. Disappointing to hear he was back to throwing soft stuff during these last practices, but hopefully it was a one off. While hopefully we’ll never find out, I think he’d do OK as a starter – at least Mike Glennon level, which, for a backup, isn’t bad.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:45 am
Blaine Gabbert.
Kyle Trask did not have a good rookie camp at all. He was No. 4 behind Ryan Griffin.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:47 am
Really, ***really*** good locker room guy (so was Justin Skule). Sometimes we all overlook the importance of dudes like that.
June 5th, 2025 at 1:03 am
Didn’t we win like 12 or 13 games the next year before losing to the rams? Sure it prob didn’t help for 2022 season, but Jason more than makes up for it with many hits in other years.
June 5th, 2025 at 1:46 am
ORBuc – 13 reg season wins in 2021, and a playoff win against the Eagles before the indecent exposure game against the Rams. I am still waking up at night about that….Brady leading the team back from the abyss, the storybook ending in sight……then Todd did what we’ve seen Todd do ever since.
And if it weren’t for averaging 31ppg, the Bucs wouldn’t have won 13 games. Todd was regularly giving up 27+ to opposition.
The Bicoach wins when his team scores more than 35, otherwise it’s a nail biter.
June 5th, 2025 at 4:20 am
It’s okay.
In Licht we trust!!!
Go Bucs!!!
June 5th, 2025 at 5:21 am
If you play 4 quarters of good football, story book comebacks aren’t needed.
We saw that with Jameis getting us behind with his incessant early game turnovers. To be fair, TB12 got off to to a slow start in the Rams playoff game.
At one point late in the first half it it was announced he had targeted Gronk 11
times with only 4 completions. The few targets to Evans in the first half were
not good passes. Brady only completed 55 % of his passes in the game with
1 Td , 1 INT and one fumble lost. He was hurried and out of sync for much of the first half.
Todd’s blitz happy defense, was just a part of the loss. Now I will say this,
when I saw LVD standing flatfooted all alone on the last play, I had to wonder
the all out blitzing had taken a toll on the defense.
June 5th, 2025 at 6:11 am
Does Aqua Lung mean you are drowning?
June 5th, 2025 at 6:35 am
Hainsey wasn’t “hated”. He was just wasn’t as strong as we needed at center.
June 5th, 2025 at 6:38 am
I wish we could have kept Hainsey and Stuard. JTS should have been traded to…
(maybe Jackonville) two years ago for a draft pick. Dardon was yet another speedy bust. Trask? I don’t know and neither does anyone else.
I am glad that draft is not the norm with our picks.
Go Bucs
June 5th, 2025 at 6:46 am
Bucs lost to rams in nfc conference championship game because of lack of cb depth and injuries to cover rams WRs. Had Bucs drafted a quality cb with second round pick who could have played even at a good level, Bucs likely win the super bowl again. You can never have enough quality cbs on your roster and Licht finally learned his lesson this year by drafting 2 cbs in top 3 rounds.
June 5th, 2025 at 6:54 am
I think the 2021 draft class wass a disappoinment as a whole. Don’t think Many teams drafted well in 2021. The talent wasn’t there.
June 5th, 2025 at 7:12 am
Robert Hainsey was hated as the starter on this site with many derogatory comments posted here in Joe land all the time. In reality, he was a solid lineman who got thrust into a bad situation. We lost our All Pro center to injury and then both guards in the same off season. The entire inside line was having issues and Hainsey was not the guy to plug the hole in the dike.
In 2020 you pretty much only hit on two players, so would you call that a great draft? LOL
June 5th, 2025 at 7:13 am
I was hoping in 2020 we would have hit on Keyshawn Vaugn, that he would have been our Bucky back then. Obviously that didn’t pan out, I’m glad we have Bucky now.
June 5th, 2025 at 7:32 am
looking back at it, they should’ve traded up in the first for a better pick. 1st and 2nd that year were a waste.
June 5th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Hated losing Hainsey and Skule. Don’t see where we’ve got as good of OLine depth as we had last year. Hopefully these UDFAs can get up to speed fast. DLine got this kid from SMU, supposed to be able to play inside or outside. We haven’t heard much about him. I think both of our lines are still a little weak on depth but we’ll see. I’m a firm believer that success in this game starts up front on both sides of the ball. I think the OLine has the leadership and talent but after Vea and Kancey there is still alot to prove on this DLine.
June 5th, 2025 at 9:18 am
BillyBucco, Aqualung was a semi-fictional character in an old Jethro Tull album. He apparently has breathing problems, hence the name. I think Ian Anderson’s first wife I forgot her name, photographed an old hobo in London and that poor old sot became the inspiration for the album.
June 5th, 2025 at 9:52 am
Trask, then trading up in the 4th for darden… woof!!
June 5th, 2025 at 9:55 am
Thankfully the falcons drafted Pitts at 4 with the next 5 picks all being pro bowlers.
June 5th, 2025 at 10:12 am
Fred McNeil – not only do you crack me up with your awesome humor, but these days hardly anyone knows about Jethro Tull. And I didn’t know the story of the album cover!
Thanks for that, and now it’s time for a little Thick as a Brick through the headphones.
June 5th, 2025 at 10:47 am
I wish the Bucs could have afforded to keep Hainsey, having a guy who can start at every position on the line, and be a competent starter, is a huge piece to hold in reserve.
—–
I was going to reply to this silliness until I looked at who wrote it. Turns out, it’s just the Schtick Meister doing his usual McSchtick. To his credit it is a great way to start the day.
June 5th, 2025 at 11:03 am
Well, babes, let’s take a look, shall we?
JTS–Gone (and thank God).
Trask–Backup. Unproven. Hard to know his value behind the scenes since we don’t have that “Dorothy Behind-the-Scenes Pass.”
Hainsey–Solid backup, now gone. Little sad since he was a nice depth piece.
Darden–Thanks, but no thanks.
Britt–Biggest liability I’ve ever seen. Made a hobbled Cousins look like the second coming of Peyton Manning… or Tom Brady… or (fill in amazing QB here).
Wilcox–They can’t all be winners.
Stuard–Who? Exactly.
So, in conclusion, yes, it wasn’t good. As a matter of fact, it stunk on the whole. But, as my good friend Stephen A Smith often says “HOWEVA!” most of our other drafts have been strong enough to keep this team not only afloat, but thriving for years to come. Chalk 2021 up to experience, chaps, and learn from why it stunk. Move on, and be better in the future. In Jason we trust.
June 5th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
We got a pick for Stuard from the colts. Hainesy served his purpose. Trask is an affordable backup, mainly because he’s an unknown commodity. Britt played well in the back half of 23 season, in lieu of the diva. That’s not nothing,
June 5th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
@BillyBucco
Aqualung is a song by a mediocre band from the classic rock days – Jethro tull. The songs namesake is a homeless man in the park “eyeing little girls with bad intent”.
Not a big Jethro Tull fan but they do have a couple of ok songs… I like locomotive breath better than aqualung myself – killer flute (yes flute 😳) solo 🤘🏼
June 5th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Songs from the wood make ya feel much better
June 5th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
I loved old Jethro Tull. I tried to play a flute once and gave up. Guitar is much easier.
June 5th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Do you still remember December’sfoggy freeze?
When the ice that clings on to your beard was screaming agony.
And you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep sea diver sounds.
And the flowers bloom like madness in the spring.
June 5th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
@Fred McNeil
Do you still remember December’sfoggy freeze?
When the ice that clings on to your beard was screaming agony.
And you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep sea diver sounds.
And the flowers bloom like madness in the spring
My favorite verse – sad but beautiful.
Hate to sound like a grumpy old man but they just don’t make music like they used to 🤷🏼
June 5th, 2025 at 4:57 pm
It’s all canned beats anymore
June 5th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
I’ve been watching “reaction videos” on tube. Lots of young people discovering classic rock artists and being blown away. Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, CCR, Skynyrd, etc etc. Even they say the same thing – back in the day you had to play instruments and/or sing… Without auto-tune.
There are current artists I like but not many…. 99 % of my music collection
June 5th, 2025 at 7:38 pm
* is classic rock 😎