Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has his first NFL contract.
On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the signing of Tryon, whom they selected with the 32nd pick of the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft. As is standard for first-round picks, Tryon inked a four-year deal with a fifth-year team option.
Tryon is the sixth of the Buccaneers' seven 2021 draft picks to get his deal done; the remaining unsigned rookie is third-round offensive lineman Robert Hainsey. The team previously got contracts in place with second-round quarterback Kyle Trask, fourth-round wide receiver Jaelon Darden, fifth-round linebacker K.J. Britt, seventh-round cornerback Chris Wilcox and seventh-round linebacker Grant Stuard.
Picking last in the opening round thanks to their Super Bowl LV victory, the Buccaneers had the luxury of targeting their top-rated prospect, regardless of position. They chose to add to their edge rush rotation with the former Huskies star, with Tryon joining an outside linebacker group that includes Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Anthony Nelson. The Buccaneers tied for fourth in the NFL with 48 sacks in 2020.
Head Coach Bruce Arians stressed the power in Tryon's rush game and the Buccaneers believe he has the speed and quickness to add pass rush moves in the NFL. They also believe Tryon has the size and versatility to potentially rush from the interior line, as well.
Tryon opted out of Washington's 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic but was a standout as a sophomore in 2019, when he recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks, including six sacks in his last five games. Though minor knee surgery kept him on the sideline for the Buccaneers' rookie mini-camp and OTA practices, Tryon did return for the team's mandatory mini-camp and made a strong first impression.
"Yeah, he's full-speed now and he looked really, really good," said Head Coach Bruce Arians during mini-camp. "He's obviously everything we thought he was. Obviously we'll learn more in pads. But he's slippery in shorts and a lot of guys aren't. He showed some really good skillset."
