When examining Bucs general manager Jason Licht's draft history, it is no secret that he has been one of the best in the business, especially in recent years.

Going back to the 2020 NFL Draft, Licht has drafted two Pro Bowlers in left tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and a laundry list of key players.

DT Logan Hall
RT Luke Goedeke
RB Rachaad White
TE Cade Otton
CB Zyon McCollum
DT Calijah Kancey
RG Cody Mauch
OLB Yaya Diaby
ILB SirVocea Dennis
TE Payne Durham
C Graham Barton
WR Jalen McMillan
S Tykee Smith
RB Bucky Irving

With all of this being said, there was one year that proved to be a blemish on Licht's track record – the 2021 draft class.

After Tampa Bay let outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka walk in free agency to sign with the Browns, the team released quarterback Kyle Trask on Monday night after he lost the preseason backup quarterback battle to Teddy Bridgewater. Now, there is no longer any draftee from that 2021 draft class on the roster, and it is the lone miss over his last five draft classes, holding judgement on the 2025 NFL Draft class that has yet to play in a game.

The Bucs' 2021 Draft Class Was Not As Bad As 2016's

I do want to begin this writing by stating the obvious here: the 2021 draft class was not as bad as the 2016 draft class.

Former Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While no player that the Bucs drafted in 2021 proved to be a long-term piece, they at least extracted more positive value from the group than from what can be considered one of the worst draft classes in Tampa Bay history. The lone player drafted in 2016 who became a starter for the team was first-rounder cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who played the equivalent of two full 17-game seasons (34 games) across three and half seasons before being waived halfway through the 2019 campaign.

One can argue the best player from that class was cornerback Ryan Smith. Smith played 78 career games, serving primarily as a core special teamer from 2016-2020 and he got a Super Bowl ring for his efforts. Otherwise, it was a lot of swings and misses that year. Whether it was defensive end Noah Spence, kicker Roberto Aguayo, offensive tackle Caleb Benenoch, outside linebacker Devante Bond, or fullback Danny Vitale, none of those players panned out or played in the league after the 2021 season.

Now looking at 2021 in hindsight, the Bucs did draft two players who started two or more seasons for playoff teams in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and center Robert Hainsey. Tryon-Shoyinka never lived up to his potential. While looking the part, it never translated into high-level production, as he topped out with a career-high five sacks in 2023 and was more known for the sacks he did not make rather than the ones he did.

Former Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Hainsey had the difficult task of stepping into the shoes of Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen after his career-ending knee injury before the start of the 2022 season. The third-round pick was the full-time starter in 2022 and 2023 before serving a mentorship role as a valuable backup to 2024 first-round pick Graham Barton. You will always take that production from a Day 2 pick, and he was the best selection of the group.

Now, what about quarterback Kyle Trask?

Licht has gone on record to refuse that drafting Trask in the second round that year was a mistake.

"You know you guys know me by now," Licht said back on the Pewter Report Podcast in May 2024. "I will tell you where I made a mistake and I will admit it and say, 'You know I've learned from that.' I'm not making any apologies for taking Kyle Trask."

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The thought process, which made sense at the time, meant taking a chance on a quarterback to develop behind Tom Brady before he retired. It did not pan out, but to be fair, the team also did not have a post-Brady plan on the roster.

Rolling with a mid-30s Blaine Gabbert was not going to work, and no one knew the circuitous journey eventual franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield would take to Tampa Bay. Even at this point, no one truly knows what Trask would look like as an NFL starting quarterback in a regular-season game after he threw just 11 passes in spot duty across four seasons.

While Trask was technically the last pick of the second round, drafting a quarterback in that range rarely works out.

It is a chance the Bucs no longer wanted to roll the dice on in the middle of a Super Bowl window, but the team also did not want to be desperate in its attempts to find a signal-caller before Mayfield walked through the door.

"You know you've got teams that have – in back-to-back years – taken quarterbacks in the Top 10, and it's a premium position," Licht added. "You want to hit on it. You get desperate, teams get desperate [looking for a franchise quarterback]. You see what teams give up in trades, you see what they're doing in money – guaranteed money – all these things to get their quarterback. So to take one in the second round – I have no apologies for that."

After selecting Tryon-Shoyinka, Trask, and Hainsey, the rest of the class proved to be duds, as none of wide receiver Jaelon Darden, inside linebacker K.J. Britt, defensive back Chris Wilcox, or inside linebacker Grant Stuard did much in red and pewter. Shoutout to Stuard, though. Picked as the "Mr. Irrelevant" that year, he played all 17 games for the Colts in 2024 with 40 tackles and was a key special teamer.

Which Players Did Bucs GM Jason Licht Miss Out On Drafting In 2021?

Looking at the talent the Bucs missed out on in the 2021 NFL Draft was an extended thought exercise Josh Queipo and I embarked on during the 2023 offseason. You can check out the full article for more context and a deeper dive, but here is a revised edition of some players Tampa Bay could have drafted largely within 15 picks of their original selection that year.

Keep in mind the 2021 NFL Draft as a whole was not stellar by any means.

Pick No. 32 – OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Other players taken within 15 picks of note:
CB Tyson Campbell (No. 33)
WR Elijah Moore (No. 34)
S Jevon Holland (No. 36)
OL Landon Dickerson (No. 37)
DT Christian Barmore (No. 38)
OL Teven Jenkins (No. 39)
CB Asante Samuel Jr. (No. 47)

Eagles LG Landon Dickerson – Photo by: USA Today

Next two OLBs drafted:
OLB Azeez Ojulari (No. 50)
OLB Joseph Ossai (No. 69)

Pick No. 64 – QB Kyle Trask

Other players taken within 15 picks of note:
S Andre Cisco (No. 65)
QB Davis Mills (No. 67)
DT Alim McNeill (No. 72)
DT Milton Williams (No. 73)
CB Paulson Adebo (No. 76)
WR Josh Palmer (No. 77)
DE Malcolm Koonce (No. 79)
WR Nico Collins* (No. 89)

Pick No. 95 – OL Robert Hainsey

Other players taken within 15 picks of note:
OL Quinn Meinerz (No. 98)
ILB Ernest Jones (No. 103)
OLB Baron Browning (No. 105)
WR Amon Ra St. Brown* (No. 112)

One can look at this list and ponder the possibilities. Even drafting one of the players listed could have had a lasting ripple effect on the current iteration of the 2025 Bucs. Hindsight is 20/20, but it also offers the chance for reflection.

Jason Licht and the front office have since corrected course and are now one of the league's best at drafting. The 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 draft classes have loaded Tampa Bay with plenty of talent to win four NFC South division titles in a row and be in position to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025.