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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a superstar at safety in Antoine Winfield Jr., who the franchise made the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL with a 4-year, $84.1 million contract extension in the offseason.
What the Buccaneers don’t have is a star at cornerback. You can make an argument they don’t even have reliable starters at this point with Zyon McCollom and Jamel Dean slated to start at corner after the Buccaneers traded Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions in the offseason.
That could all change in 2025. NFL Spin Zone’s Lou Scataglia has the Buccaneers slated to draft Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison at No. 11 overall in his early 2025 mock draft.
It’s worth pointing out that if the Buccaneers end up drafting at No. 11 overall next year it would either be because the 2024 season went completely off the rails or they made it a blockbuster trade. More likely the former.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded CB Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions this past offseason,” Scataglia wrote. “They definitely have a need at CB, and if Todd Bowles is again the head coach in 2025, he may continue to advocate for help at defense.”
Morrison seems like the type of player who could provide the type of help any NFL team could use, and do it right away.
From True Freshman Starter to Elite NFL Prospect
Morrison, 6-foot and 186 pounds, went from starring at Brophy (Arizona) Prep to starting at Notre Dame as a true freshman in 2022.
As a freshman, Morrison had 6 interceptions, including an NCAA record-tying 3 interceptions against Boston College and was named a Freshman All-American.
In 2023, Morrison had 3 interceptions and 10 pass deflections as teams largely stayed away from his side of the field. In an upset win over Notre Dame, Morrison intercepted 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by the Irish.
When Morrison is drafted, he’ll be the second person in his family to play in the NFL following his father, Darryl Morrison, who was a star cornerback at the University of Arizona and played four seasons for the Washington Redskins from 1993 to 1996.
What Are Tampa Bay’s Issues at Cornerback?
McCollom got a lot of experience in 2023 — his 840 snaps were fourth-highest on the Buccaneers — but he’s graded out at 50.4 percent over his first two seasons
Dean might be a more pressing issue. He signed a 4-year, $52 million contract extension in March 2023 then missed five games last season due to injury.
Dean played a career-low 12 games in 2023 and went an entire season without an interception for the first time in his career, along with posting a career-low 4 pass deflections.
In a postseason moment that’s lived on for all the wrong reasons, Dean dropped an interception in the end zone during a 31-24 loss to the Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.
When asked what needs to improve in 2024, Tampa Bay cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross was blunt in his assessment of what advice he is imparting on Dean headed into his sixth NFL season.
“Catch the ball,” Ross deadpanned at Buccaneers’ OTAs on April 30.
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