2021 NFL Draft: The curious case of Florida QB Kyle Trask

The almost silver screen-worthy journey of the University of Florida’s Kyle Trask from high school senior backup quarterback to Heisman trophy semifinalist as starting quarterback for the storied Florida Gator program, though often told, does not appear to have captured the imaginations of those who follow the sport on the same level as did other underdog-type stories in recent memory. The next step for him is the 2021 NFL Draft.

Perhaps the optics surrounding Trask’s ascension are to blame.  Despite a significant step forward in his senior season, his culmination on the college football scene was more the result of consistent, incremental development over a two-to-three-year span than any particular scene-stealing breakout performance.

Whatever the actual reason, one could argue that something similar could be in play regarding the outgoing senior’s prospects in the upcoming NFL draft, where Trask has gone from being consistently mocked within the draft’s first round to something of an afterthought among this year’s prospects at the position.

Among others, one issue seemingly apparent in Trask’s overarching evaluation is the simultaneous praise heaped upon his top target from the 2020 Gator squad, tight end Kyle Pitts.  Though certainly an elite prospect in his own right, it is hard to argue that Pitts was the beneficiary of his quarterback’s commitment to ‘throw him open’. While showing impressive decision-making in terms of turnover-worthy attempts, Trask would nonetheless make a habit of risking throws to Pitts in contested catch situations, particularly when the team was in the red zone.

A similarly non-linear thought exercise could be in play regarding Trask’s physical traits relative to the star-studded upper crust of this year’s incoming QB class. If the former Gator’s arm strength is not on par with that of a Zach Wilson, should that serve to imply that Trask will be somehow unable to make the throws required of a winning NFL quarterback?

Are the traits required of an NFL quarterback evolving?

Furthermore, with so many league offenses relying on many of the same multiple personnel, field-widening, spread-style passing concepts with which Trask flourished during his time in Gainesville, what value might teams actually place on a prospect with a rocket arm over another whose arm is seen as perhaps good enough?

If Trask is not as mobile as the ‘Big 4’ of the 2021 NFL draft’s QB class (Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, Zach Wilson of BYU, and North Dakota State’s Lance), should such a relative deficiency be seen as limiting his prospects under center at the next level? Could one even suggest that there are different levels of mobility as the term relates to quarterback play in the NFL and that Trask might actually excel when it comes to the ever-important ability to move within the pocket?

To this end, should one ignore the rate at which Trask was deployed as a runner in the offense of Florida Head Coach Dan Mullen and former Gator offensive coordinator (now Philadelphia Eagles QB coach) Brian Johnson? Even if the majority of his rushing attempts were of a short-yardage nature, is the value that the 6-foot-5, 240 pounder might represent in similar situations at the next level something that should perhaps factor into his overall evaluation?

Where does Kyle Trask land in the 2021 NFL Draft?

It also remains to be seen if a sort of “recency bias”, the likes of which one could argue has impacted Trask’s standing among many draftniks in light of the uninspiring performance on display in his final game as a Gator, will transfer to those making decisions for the 32 league teams when the draft begins next month.

None of this is to suggest that Trask is, in fact, undervalued in his presumed slotting among the 2021 NFL draft’s quarterback class, nor certainly, should it be seen as making any sort of implication regarding Trask’s fellow QB prospects.  While a similar treatment could be applied to the superlatives so readily affixed by draft media to most any NFL Draft prospect, particularly at the quarterback position, Trask’s (supposed?) fall from grace represents a curious case indeed.

In the end, it may very well be that the narrative currently surrounding Kyle Trask is proven to be accurate.  However, and every bit as likely, his could ultimately prove to be just one more in a seemingly endless number of cases in which superlatives become inextricably attached to an individual draft prospect absent a thorough vetting.