Buccaneers' Improved Position Group Gets Sour Offseason Ranking
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and general manager Jason Licht worked hard this offseason to improve an underperforming defense from last year, and specifically, the secondary.
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Todd Bowles' unit was plagued by injuries and a lack of depth, and it showed, as the secondary struggled in pass coverage and in taking the ball away.
Licht used his second- and third-round picks on cornerbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish are new additions that Licht and the team think can contribute immediately in some capacity. Other additions from free agency and undrafted free agents could help, too.
But Pro Football Focus doesn't think the team did enough to improve. In ranking the secondaries of all 32 NFL teams, PFF put the Bucs' unit at No. 22.
"After struggling in 2024, the Buccaneers addressed their secondary by selecting cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft," PFF wrote. "They also added one of the league's most physical cornerbacks, Kindle Vildor, in free agency. If Jamel Dean continues to play at a consistently high level and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. bounces back, Tampa Bay's secondary should show improvement in 2025."
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Both Morrison and Parrish should improve the unit as long as health isn't a factor. Morrison, who played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, had hip surgery in October and arthroscopic shoulder surgery last year, too.
Bowles mentioned at the NFL combine that he wanted "ball hawks" for his defense, and with Morrison and Parrish, he got just that.
Parrish is fast, clocking a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine. It was the fourth-fastest time among DBs this season, and per NFL Next Gen Stats, he reached 23.84 mph.
But what possibly attracted the Bucs to him was his 19 pass breakups since 2023, with five interceptions in that time, for the Kansas State Wildcats.
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Related: Buccaneers' Todd Bowles Climbs in NFL Head Coach Rankings
Related: Best Baker Mayfield Prop Bet for Buccaneers 2025 Season Revealed
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
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