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Kyle Trask is a tough 2021 NFL Draft prospect to figure out

By Sayre Bedinger

Nov 28, 2020; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators players including Kyle Trask (11) and Kyle Pitts (84) celebrate with teammates after the Gators beat the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Nov. 28, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Brad McClenny-USA TODAY NETWORK
Nov 28, 2020; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators players including Kyle Trask (11) and Kyle Pitts (84) celebrate with teammates after the Gators beat the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Nov. 28, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Brad McClenny-USA TODAY NETWORK /
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Kyle Trask is a tough 2021 NFL Draft prospect to project.

Even though he’s on a record pace and having one of the best seasons of any player in all of college football in 2020, Florida Gators QB Kyle Trask is one of the toughest players to project for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Trask has been posting even better numbers in 2020 than Joe Burrow did in 2019 at this point. Through eight games in 2019, Burrow had thrown 30 touchdown passes.

Trask has 34 in his first eight games of the 2020 season.

Over the course of the 2019 season, Burrow averaged 10.8 yards per attempt. Burrow is averaging a very close 10.3.

So what in the world gives here? Burrow, at this time a year ago, was already being pegged as the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Trask is not getting the same treatment, and not even close to it.

Why is that? What’s Trask’s deal?

After all, Burrow’s experience was also somewhat limited. In fact, even though Trask didn’t start last season as Florida’s QB1, he posted better numbers as a junior than Burrow did with LSU after he transferred from Ohio State.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1332783110589702148

Trask has been on a tear this season playing in Dan Mullen’s spread-style offense. Although playing in a spread was once a near death sentence for a QB prospect, it’s now something that has translatability to the NFL game.

Even more so, teams want to see a number of different things on tape from ball placement to accuracy, and other factors still remain critical to an NFL projection.

More than his arm talent or accuracy, what impressed early on in 2019 about Joe Burrow was his innate ability to maneuver around the pocket and keep his eyes downfield, not only avoiding the rush but making great throws under duress and even escaping the pocket to create plays where there previously were none.

This is not Trask’s strongest skill, as he is not nearly as fleet of foot as Burrow in the pocket. Trask also doesn’t put great velocity on his passes and seems to rely purely on timing and accuracy to get the ball where it needs to be.

With that considered, it’s all the more impressive that he’s been able to put the ball where it needs to be with such a high degree of regularity for Florida and 59 touchdowns in 20 games doesn’t happen for every quarterback.

It’s clear that Trask plays the game from the neck up and his physical skills come secondary, but they are still important and will continue to be important at the NFL level. When faced with NFL pressure, can Trask make a tight-window throw? Is he going to be able to consistently push the ball vertically against NFL defenses?

Some have compared Trask’s all-around game to that of a bigger Kirk Cousins or even a Mason Rudolph. Some have compared him, because of his size, to Ben Roethlisberger.

In reality, it’s hard to determine a true comparison for Trask but he should have an NFL future, even if he’s not a first-round talent at the position.

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