Buccaneers pick possible Tom Brady successor in Florida QB Kyle Trask during NFL draft
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have invested in a possible future replacement for Tom Brady.
With the final pick of the second round in Friday's NFL draft, the Buccaneers selected quarterback Kyle Trask.
Trask was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft and the first on Day 2. The Minnesota Vikings took Texas A&M's Kellen Mond early in the third round, and the Houston Texans followed by selecting Stanford's Davis Mills.
The 6-5, 234-pound passer took a significant step forward in 2020, throwing for 43 touchdowns en route to being named a Heisman Trophy finalist.
“He might not be in that group of the top five quarterbacks now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 10 years from now he’s in the group of top five quarterbacks in this year’s draft,” Florida coach Dan Mullen said in April on ESPN's "Greeny" podcast.
While Trask has been lauded for his touch and poise, he has faced scrutiny for his athleticism and arm strength.
"I think I've shown on film that I can make every single throw on the field," Trask said in a news conference after he was selected.
A backup to Miami (Fla.) quarterback D'Eriq King in high school, Trask took over the starting job at Florida when Feleipe Franks was injured in 2019.
"There's a lot to like about (trask): big kid, smart, tough, great leader, plenty of arm talent ... love his story of perseverance," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a news conference. "He's a fighter, a competitor, a great team player."
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After leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl 55 victory, Brady agreed to a one-year contract extension in March to keep him with the team through the 2022 season. Brady, who turns 44 in August, has left open the possibility of playing beyond 45.
"He's definitely one of my favorite quarterbacks growing up," Trask said of Brady. "I can't wait to get this ball rolling, for sure."
The Buccaneers return all 22 starters from last year's title team. Tampa Bay selected Washington pass rusher Joe Tryon with its first-round pick.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Trask: Buccaneers pick possible Tom Brady successor in NFL draft
