The Bucs‘ pass defense in 2024 was disastrous for the majority of the season. For a prime example of why that is a fact, just look at the two games the Falcons had against the Bucs and how well Kirk Cousins played in them.
Moving on, though, the Bucs have already started to game-plan for ways to fix their pass defense for the upcoming season. They have talked about moving cornerback Tykee Smith to safety to play alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. while also adding two cornerbacks in the NFL Draft.
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According to PFF, one of them is worth watching in Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame.
When discussing the Notre Dame defender, Pro Football Focus writes, “If he can prove he is fully healthy after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in 2024, Morrison could be a steal of a second-round pick. During his three seasons at Notre Dame, he ranked 12th among qualified Power Four cornerbacks with an elite 90.5 PFF coverage grade. He also tied for third among that same group with nine interceptions. He may serve as a backup early on, but Tampa Bay’s lack of cornerback depth could push Morrison into an important role.”
Proving to be healthy is the biggest part of the battle for Morrison, especially coming off a hip injury as a cornerback.
Benjamin Morrison was a surefire top-ten pick in the NFL Draft before the injury. If the Bucs get that old player that everyone saw in 2023 then they may have the steal of the draft and also fix their pass coverage issues long-term.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: A Bucs rookie could be the key to the Bucs issues in pass coverage