Latest Mock Draft Projects Miami QB Van Dyke to Go First Round
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Pro Football Network (PFN) released their latest mock draft this past weekend and have Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke pinned to be taken off the board in the first round.
It’s not the first mock draft Van Dyke has shown up in and nobody would be surprised to see him chosen within the first 32 picks, especially if he improves upon his 2021 production, which already helped place him on the Maxwell Award Watchlist.
Back to the NFL Draft, what’s most interesting about PFN’s projection is Van Dyke’s forecasted landing spot, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to PFN, Van Dyke looks like the ideal heir-apparent to the future Hall of Famer Tom Brady and if he’s available at 31, the Bucs will certainly give him some consideration. Despite all the rumors, Brady is not actually immortal and, much to the chagrin of Bucs fans, cannot play forever.
Tampa Bay will eventually be forced to fill his cleats, whether it’s because he retires or leaves for a different franchise, and Van Dyke is a pro-style signal caller in the mold of a young Brady. That’s not to say that Van Dyke’s going to win seven Super Bowls, but the similarities are there.
Both signal callers are 6’4” pocket passers, who aren’t known for their athleticism but are deceptively mobile in the pocket and do as much work between the ears as they do with their arms. Van Dyke’s been praised by his coaches as a tireless worker and dedicated student of the game, much like the Bucs’ Hall of Fame huddle caller.
It seems that there aren’t many people in Tampa, or around the league for that matter, that are sold on Kyle Trask as a legitimate replacement once Brady hangs it up. This could open a window for the Bucs to take Van Dyke and let him study under Brady while they still have the seven-time Super Bowl champ at the helm.
As intriguing as it is to speculate on where the Hurricanes’ redshirt-sophomore gunslinger might find his draft stock come next April, there’s still a lot of football to be played first. Van Dyke will have to increase his efforts in the film room to fully grasp newly hired offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ system and avoid the “sophomore slump” in his second year as a starter.
The talent is certainly there and so is the opportunity for Van Dyke. Now, the sky's the limit for this young Hurricane field general and the Miami offense he leads.
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