NFL players tend to find out real quick how much pressure comes with playing in the NFL. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' draft class of 2021, that starts in 2022.

Fair or not, certain circumstances have created this situation. The Bucs' current cap situation, Tom Brady's/Ali Marpet's retirement, and specific, impending free agents are just a few of those circumstances.

There was pressure on this draft class heading into 2021, but now things are really going to ramp up in Year Two, because all four of these guys are going to have a legitimate shot at starting roles.

Whether or not they sink or swim remains to be seen. But we'll certainly find out how far they've come by the time December rolls around.

OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Pick: Round 1, No. 32 overall
2021 stats: Appeared in 17 games with six starts. 29 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, 5.0 TFLs, 10 quarterback hits, and three passes defensed.

Picked with the last pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Tryon-Shoyinka is considered the future of the Bucs' pass rush. That's already enough pressure as-is, but it's about to get ramped up even more in 2022.

This is due to the fact that 2021 is likely Jason Pierre-Paul's final season with the Buccaneers. Injuries derailed his season and left him as a shell of the guy who was that consistent force from 2018-2020. He's also really expensive and the Bucs have a lot of other in-house guys to re-sign on top of not having a lot of cap space. It's also possible he will retire.

Enter Tryon-Shoyinka.

This is exactly why he was drafted. To take over for the 33-year-old JPP and allow the Bucs to spend their money elsewhere.

Tryon-Shoyinka flashed some skills in 2021, but overall, his rookie season was slightly disappointing. 4.0 sacks is about what was expected from the 2020 opt-out, but that's because of JPP's and Shaquil Barrett's absurd snap counts over the last two seasons. Both players played a ton of snaps from 2019-2020 and that wasn't expected to change in 2021. Therefore, the thought was that Tryon-Shoyinka wouldn't get a whole lot of opportunities to make plays. Playing around 25-30% of defensive snaps was a reasonable goal for JTS.

That all changed with JPP's injuries. He missed five games and Tryon-Shoyinka started all five while playing at least 74% of snaps in each one.

Overall, he played 49% of snaps, which was nearly double the expectation coming in. The production simply should have been better, especially considering when two of the four sacks came in one game. His run defense was average at best, too.

In JTS' defense, he was used in coverage a lot, which didn't make much sense. That obviously limited his production. It will be interesting to see how that works moving forward.

But no matter how you slice it, the Buccaneers need JTS to step up in a big way in 2022.

QB Kyle Trask

Pick: Round 2, No. 64
2021 stats: N/A

Trask spent all last season inactive. 2021 was essentially a redshirt season. 2022 was going to be another learning year behind Brady and possibly Blaine Gabbert, but that's no longer the case.

Brady's retirement changed things. A lot. As it stands, Trask is the only quarterback under contract on the Bucs' roster.

Trask was taken in 2021 because the Buccaneers think they can turn him into "their guy" over the next couple years. He's extremely raw, but has the proper arm for Bruce Arians' system and his ability to process the system, make correct decisions, etc. is top-notch, per Arians and his staff.

It's likely Gabbert is going to be the starter in 2022, which likely makes Trask the No. 2 quarterback. Ryan Griffin could come into play, but it's doubtful he'll ever be more than a third option or practice squad guy in the Bucs' eyes.

If Gabbert is the starting quarterback in 2022, then Trask is one big injury away from becoming the Buccaneers' starter. The former Gator did not look ready for the NFL, whatsoever, during the 2021 preseason.

The Bucs are in trouble if that turns out to be the case again in 2022. Not only would that severely harm the 2022 season, but it would put the team in a bind when it comes to the position moving forward. Trask's NFL career would also start looking rather bleak, as well.

He has to show improvement in 2022, but he also has to show a lot of improvement. Or else it's likely he won't get a shot at the starting gig after this year.

C Robert Hainsey

Pick: Round 3, No. 95 overall
2021 stats: Appeared in nine games and finished with an overall blocking grade of 65.7, per PFF.

Hainsey played in nine games in 2021, but it was all mop-up duty. But hey, experience is experience in the NFL. I'm sure he -and the Buccaneers- will take it all day.

The third-round pick may just be the Buccaneers' starter at center in 2022, too. Ryan Jensen is an impending free agent and it's unclear as to whether or not he'll return. A popular and reasonable thought is that Hainsey was drafted to take over for Jensen, which possibly coincides with the decision to not extend Jensen last offseason.

Jensen is coming off his first career Pro Bowl and is arguably the best center in the NFL. Not only would becoming a starter in second year come with pressure, but replacing a player of Jensen's caliber adds even more to the situation.

But even if Jensen comes back, it's likely on a limited contract, which means Hainsey needs to keep showing improvement or he may never get a crack at the starting gig, either.

Marpet's retirement could also push Hainsey into the starting left guard spot. Hainsey played guard in college, but the Buccaneers have been grooming him for center. It's not unreasonable to think the Bucs re-sign Jensen and then move Hainsey to guard, but at the same time, that would be considered a bit desperate and counterproductive.

WR Jaelon Darden

Pick: Round 4, No. 129 overall
2021 stats: Appeared in nine games. Six receptions for 43-yards on 12 targets and one carry for 11-yards. Returned 19 punts for 142-yards (7.5 avg) and 18 kickoffs for 359 yards (19.9 avg). Finished with 555 all-purpose yards.

There's no other way to put: Darden's rookie season was easily the most disappointing of the entire 2021 draft class.

Darden's selection made a lot of people happy. He has a unique skillset that no one else on the team has and he was also pegged as the team's primary kick returner, which would help the Buccaneers save a roster spot, as well.

None of that came to fruition, though. Darden struggled all year long and never looked comfortable on the field. His lone highlight of the season was a 43-yard punt return against the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Outside of that, there wasn't much to write home about.

He played just 14% of offensive snaps. There were plenty of opportunities for Darden to carve out a bigger role due to all the injuries the Buccaneers suffered at receiver, too. He just couldn't figure it out.

But Darden's going to have to figure it out in 2022 or else things could get ugly, really quick.

Featured image via-Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports