The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of help on defense this offseason. They need a pair of inside linebackers, an edge rusher and defensive lineman. These are just the starting positions that they need to fill on defense this offseason.
However, some would point to the secondary as a big need as well. The Bucs have finished in the bottom six in terms of passing yards allowed over the last three years. On top of that, they could see their top cornerback walk in free agency.
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The Buccaneers restructured Jamel Dean’s contract last year. Due to a long injury history, they gave him a significant pay cut. Now he enters free agency looking for one more big payday that he might not be able to find in Tampa.
This has led some to link the Bucs to some of the top ranked corners in this coming draft. LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy are viewed by many, including myself, as the best two cornerbacks in the draft. Both are top 15 talents and projected to go around where the Bucs pick.
To be clear, I would be thrilled to have either on the roster. They both bring good size, plus athletic ability, versatility to play man or zone and a high level of awareness. I believe both will be good number one corners in the NFL.
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However, I would be very surprised if either landed in Tampa. When you really look at the context of the Bucs, drafting a cornerback early just doesn’t make a ton of sense. Here’s why I believe that the Buccaneers won’t be drafting a cornerback early.
First off, you have to look at what the Bucs have in their cornerback room. Zyon McCollum just signed a three year extension last offseason that kicks in this year. And while the team can part ways with him in 2027 with a relatively low amount of dead money, he will be on the roster this year despite regressing last season.
The Bucs also invested a pair of day two picks into the cornerback position in last year’s draft. Benjamin Morrison had ups and downs as a rookie, including several injuries that forced him to miss valuable time in terms of development. However, he also had great moments, like when he shut down Philadelphia Eagles star receiver AJ Brown.
Jacob Parrish was the Buccaneers third-round pick last year. He did very well as the Bucs starting nickel and Todd Bowles has said he will get an opportunity to win a starting outside job this year. His speed, physicality and intelligence will translate either inside or outside.
So really, the Bucs have three good options at the outside corner spot for 2026. The team has to see exactly what they have in Morrison and Parrish and see if McCollum can bounce back after a disappointing 2025. But in terms of pure talent at the position, the Buccaneers aren’t lacking at corner.
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It’s also important to identify why the Bucs pass defense has struggled in recent years. A big part of that has been due to poor linebacker pay. Between KJ Britt and SirVocea Dennis, the linebacker coverage has been awful the last two years. Not to mention that Lavonte David has been declining and isn’t playing at the hall of fame level that we have become accustomed to.
Safety has also been an issue at times. Tykee Smith and Antione Winfield Jr have both been very good. However, Winfield was injured for most of 2024 and at that time the Bucs just didn’t have much else being him with the likes of Jordan Whitehead and Ryan Neal both logging significant starting minutes. With a healthy Winfield and Smith entering the 2026 season, the Buccaneers will just be looking for depth behind them.
All this is to say that cornerback isn’t as big of a need as the raw data might indicate. The issues have been more with linebacker and safety than anything as opposed to corner. That’s not to say there aren’t questions with the projected starters, but those are questions that can’t be answered without giving the likes of Morrison and McCollum an opportunity this year.
So while the likes of Delane or McCoy would likely be an upgrade to what the Bucs already have, I doubt that this is the direction that they go in. The team has a lot invested in cornerback and the need just isn’t necessarily there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they drafted a developmental corner on day three to improve the overall depth of the position, but I wouldn’t expect the Buccaneers to draft a cornerback early on.
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