Bucs may have found their latest undrafted gem following breakout performance against the Jets
One under-the-radar rookie had a big night in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have built a reputation for finding undrafted talent that sticks, and general manager Jason Licht may have done it again. Cornerback Ayden Garnes, signed out of Arizona as one of the Bucs’ undrafted free agent pickups this spring, delivered a breakout performance in Friday night’s preseason opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Licht has done a fantastic job in recent years scouring the college ranks for players everyone forgot to draft, perhaps as well as any general manager in the league. Christian Izien, Sean Tucker, Ben Chukwuma, Josh Bulluck, and Nick Jackson are recent examples of that success. That eye for overlooked talent appears to be paying dividends once more.
Garnes had a pair of impactful plays for the Bucs against the Jets, including the biggest of the first half
On the Jets’ first drive, Garnes brought down New York starting running back Breece Hall for an open field tackle for loss. Later, in the second quarter, he stepped in front of a pass from quarterback Bailey Zappe and zigzagged across the field for a pick-6 to tie the game at 10.
That combination of run support and playmaking ability in coverage is exactly what teams look for from defensive backs fighting for roster spots on the back end of the depth chart.
Undrafted free agents and players competing for those final roster spots often have to rely on special teams contributions while trying to hold their own on offense or defense. Delivering impactful plays like Garnes did on Friday night is a tremendous way to force the coaching staff’s hand and separate yourself from the rest of the inexperienced roster hopefuls.
The rest of the preseason still has to play out, and there will be more opportunities for Garnes to either build on this momentum or fade back into the crowd. But for the time being, he left a great first impression, one that could have him in prime position for a roster spot if he keeps this up.
