Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish (25) during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

2 Buccaneers rookies who could become stars in 2026

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a frustrating season, starting off 6-2 before disastrously collapsing to an 8-9 finish. There was plenty that went wrong, but despite that, there were still a few bright spots to look forward to on the year.

A few of those bright spots are from Tampa Bay's rookie class. Not everyone was a hit in 2025 in their first NFL season, but there were two players who showed a lot of promise and could make a big impact on the team — and the league — going forward.

Here are two Bucs rookies who could become stars next year:

DB Jacob Parrish

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Parrish was supposed to play nickel for the Buccaneers, and most of the time, he did — however, he had to move outside pretty often due to injuries at the cornerback position, and he performed admirably when he needed to. Across the year, Parrish netted 50 solo tackles and picked off two passes with seven passes defended.

Parrish showed a lot of promise at the nickel position, also netting two sacks as a blitzer and utilizing his lightning-quick speed well in his first NFL campaign. With another year under his belt, Parrish could be a real playmaker for the Buccaneers, especially if the rest of the secondary gets shored up in the offseason.

WR Emeka Egbuka

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Egbuka had a stellar start to the year, but he tapered off during the back half of his rookie campaign after suffering a small hamstring injury and getting logjammed behind the returning Jalen McMillan. That potential he showcased in the first half of the season was still very bright, though, and he could take the next step to doing that more consistently in 2026.

Egbuka finished the year with 938 yards and six touchdowns. He struggled with drops midway through the year and he needs to find a way to separate in man coverage more reliably, but his zone route running instinct remains stellar. With a year of NFL experience, Egbuka could get a better feel for route running next year, and a new offensive coordinator could help utilize his potential in a big way, should the Bucs make a change from Josh Grizzard.