Jacob Parrish’s Opening Act For The Bucs

In addition to the two plays he made when targeted, Parrish also had a plus play as a flat defender reading Cam Ward’s eyes, getting vertical quickly while making an athletic leap into the air to nearly disrupt a third pass on a speed cut to the sideline.

Jacob Parrish Is Learning The Nickelback Role

It wasn’t a perfect night for Jacob Parrish. Head coach Todd Bowles noted in his post-game press conference that the two catches he allowed were both on reps in the slot where he got out-leveraged.

“I thought he did a good job, especially out at the corner spot,” Bowles said. “Nickel spot, we had help going inside that he got to leverage out once or twice, but I thought he did a very good job from that standpoint. and the preseason’s going to be great for him, and I look forward to him having a heck of a season this year.”

On the first rep he picked up Calvin Ridley motioning inside of the slot receiver before releasing on a crossing route. He got a late break on the trail and Ridley gained a step leading to a 13-yard gain. That same situation popped up later in the game near the goal line.

Once again lined up in the slot, this time against Tyler Lockett, Parrish overreacted to a run block fake from Lockett and exposed himself to losing to an inside release. The result was a seven-yard gain for Lockett on a quick slant.

The silver lining was that Lockett only got seven yards. The odds of him scoring on a free-release slant were better than not, but Parrish’s closing speed and sure tackle limited the damage. Those tackling skills are welcomed by the Bucs leadership and an inconsistent part of last year’s team.

The Arrow Is Pointing Up For Jacob Parrish

It wasn’t a perfect night for the rookie. Those are few and far between at this level. Jacob Parrish was on the wrong side of the field on another play, leading to a coverage bust that resulted in a 27-yard gain for Calvin Ridley and the Titans. This mental lapse should get cleaned up with more time and mental reps.

But the athleticism, play recognition, and physicality in his play is there for the former Kansas State Wildcat. All of the things the Bucs were hoping for when they selected him on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft were fully on display on Saturday. And as he is the leader in the clubhouse for the starting nickelback position, that’s a bright sign for the defense this year.