Buccaneers Dropped the Ball at One Position This Offseason

Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buccaneers Dropped the Ball at One Position This Offseason

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Jul 2, 2026 11:00 AM ET

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemingly nailed their offseason.

They improved their pass rush, spent a ton of capital on young, talented pieces and got more physical and bigger across the board. They even once again added to their offensive prowess, even though they didn't necessarily need to.

While the Bucs have lined themselves up nicely to return to relevance as a playoff-caliber team, we identified the one area where they dropped the ball this offseason: cornerback.

Cornerback Position is Suspect for Bucs in 2026

The Buccaneers lost Jamel Dean, Kindle Vildor and Christian Izien in free agency, and they did little to curb the impacts of losing those three. They only really added Keionte Scott in the NFL Draft, who is expected to take on the nickel role in Tampa Bay.

While Scott will likely man the slot receiver, the Bucs will rely heavily on youth on the outside.

Zyon McCollum will likely man the CB1 spot, but it appears the Bucs have a battle for the CB2 spot on the other side of the field as second-year players Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish battle it out.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Both Morrison and Parrish will see plenty of action in 2026, but things get a bit rough behind them.

Josh Hayes, Chase Lucas, Damarion Williams, Kemon Hall and Ayden Garnes are the only depth the Bucs currently have behind their three guarantees. And that doesn't instil confidence in anyone if one of the big three ends up going down with injury.

What The Bucs Should Have Done

Yes, the Buccaneers are high on the three corners that are expected to be on the field a ton. However, they shouldn't be comfortable with how the room shaped out this offseason due to a lack of depth and high-end or proven production.

What Tampa Bay should have done is gotten a proven veteran in free agency to help take some of the load off the young guns in the room. It didn't need to be a big name or someone who would have taken a large portion of the salary cap, but another body in the room would not have hurt.

Where Do Bucs Go From Here?

Just because Tampa Bay didn't address this issue earlier in the offseason doesn't mean that they are handcuffed to what they have on the roster.

The Bucs still have the opportunity to go out and acquire players to join the cornerback room, and with plenty of veteran options still out there on the open market, it would be wise for Todd Bowles and Jason Licht to snag one or two guys ahead of training camp with the hope that one of them can impress enough to make the roster.