TAMPA, Fla. — The newest additions to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are quarterback Kyle Trask, of Florida, and offensive lineman Robert Hainsey, of Notre Dame.
The Bucs selected Trask 64th during the second round of the NFL Draft Friday, and followed that up with taking Hainsey in the third round with the 95th pick.
The picks come on the heels of the team selecting linebacker Joe Tryon during the draft's first round.
Trask will help bolster the Bucs offense, serving as depth behind Tom Brady as the team chases down back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
Trask, a Heisman Trophy finalist following the 2020 season, threw for 7,386 yards and 69 touchdowns in 28 games with the Gators, according to a release.
The Texas-native, standing at 6-feet, 5-inches tall, led an explosive offense in 2020 with Florida, throwing for 43 touchdowns and more than 4,280 yards. The 43 touchdown passes led the nation and tied him for third on the SEC single-season record list.
Hainsey, a 6-foot-4-inch-tall, 290-pound Pittsburgh native, served as a team captain with Notre Dame. He was also invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl, was a Senior CLASS Award All-America First Team member and a Senior CLASS Award Finalist.
The Buccaneers ended a 13-year playoff drought in the 2020 season and continued to win on the road to lead them to football's biggest stage. The team not only won Super Bowl LV but etched its name in the sport's history books for becoming the first to win at home.
There's no question that Brady will lead the Bucs' offensive charge this season in their quest for a repeat, but the future of the quarterback position beyond 2021-2022 remained a mystery. With Friday night's pick of Trask, it appears that Tampa Bay may have their heir apparent -- at least, for now.
Coming off a record season allowed the Bucs to make decisions in the 2021 NFL Draft based on want instead of need. Plus, bringing back all 22 starters didn't hurt either.
Current projections pegged the Buccaneers bringing either a running back, edge, or defensive lineman into the fold in the early rounds of the draft.
Trask now joins the ranks of returning players like Brady, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Shaq Barrett and Ndamukong Suh.
The NFL is expected to release the 2021 season schedule on May 12.
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