According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bucs have been doing “extra legwork” on some of the quarterbacks that are expected to go in the second or third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

“There are three quarterbacks who are likely to go in Rounds two or three, those being Stanford’s Davis Mills, Florida’s Kyle Trask and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond,” Pelissero said. “And I can tell you that there are a handful of teams who have done extra legwork on some or all of them. A list that includes the Bears, the Vikings, the Saints and the Bucs.”

Quarterback Tom Brady is coming off his seventh Super Bowl victory and remains under contract through 2022, but he’ll still be 44 this season. On top of that, Brady has been recovering from a minor knee procedure that he underwent in February.

Brady was initially expected to resume practice in some form by June, while backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert also remains unsigned heading into the draft. Considering these factors, Tampa Bay looking at a mid-round quarterback makes sense.

SR recently wrote about all three of the Bucs’ potential Day 2 options in one of his weekly Fab 5 columns.

But with the Bucs holding late picks in the second and third rounds, how many QB options will be available? As Pewter Report has discussed, the Bucs options at No. 32 could be limited depending on what happens in front of them. That same principle rings true as they search for a quarterback in the second and third rounds.

Will one of these quarterbacks slide? Would general manager Jason Licht will be willing to move up for a signal caller? As the Bucs continue to bring back impact players from their Super Bowl-winning roster, most recently receiver Antonio Brown, their needs on Draft Day continue to shrink. Now that Tampa Bay has reportedly put in the effort with these quarterbacks, what will it take to land one? And will the player they add be worth it if they do?