Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets during pregame warm ups against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Buccaneers only NFC South team represented among PFF's top cornerbacks

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 11:37 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers addressed plenty of their needs this offseason. With much of the offense intact, the main focus was on the defense, as the two areas in which the Bucs struggled the most on defense were generating sacks off the edge and defending in the secondary.

Tampa Bay added Haason Reddick in free agency and then proceeded to draft David Walker in the NFL Draft to shore up their edge rushing, and then put an emphasis on the secondary in the draft by selecting Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish early on.

The new faces will undoubtedly help the Bucs this upcoming season, but the veterans who have been on the team will be asked to step up at these positions as well.

The Bucs dealt with several injuries this past season on defense, including cornerback Jamel Dean, who missed time due to injuries to both his knees. When Dean is in the game, he is one of the more consistent corners in the NFL and has become respected for his skills on the outside.

Entering the season, Pro Football Focus has Dean as one of their top corners entering the 2025 season, slotting in as the 17th-best corner in the league per their analysis.

"Consistency is highly valued in the NFL, and there might not be any cornerback more consistent year-to-year than Dean," wrote John Kosko. "His worst season resulted in a 72.5 PFF overall grade, while his best produced a 78.9 figure. He ranks 11th in PFF advanced coverage grade over the past two seasons and did not allow a touchdown in coverage in 2024."

Dean might not be the best corner in the NFL, but he is always doing the right thing, and his PFF grades exemplify that.

The issue with Dean has been staying on the field. It is something that has plagued him throughout his career, but he now has the chance in 2025 to prove that he can stay on the field and still compete at a high level.

The Buccaneers' offseason moves show they aren't sold on the health of Dean, taking precautions in the case that he or any of the other defensive backs go down with injury, like we saw in 2024.

Dean slotted in just behind Charvarius Ward of the Indianapolis Colts and Quinyon Mitchell of the Philadelphia Eagles, and just a spot ahead of his former teammate Carlton Davis III. Dean was also the only NFC South cornerback to make the top 32 ranking.