NFL analyst names Bucs’ biggest roster hole, but it might not be as bad as some think
The Bucs did a great job at addressing roster issues this offseason, and one potential outstanding concern might have been remedied a bit.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ main roster building for the 2026 season is complete with both the free agency period and NFL Draft behind us now.
Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht did a commendable job over the last two months adding key veterans and rookies in important roster areas. If those decisions turn out to be hits quickly, the Bucs very well could ascend back to their place atop the NFC South, at minimum.
That being said, no team is ever fully complete. For the Bucs, ESPN NFL analyst Aaron Schatz sees their primary roster concern after the draft being their outside cornerback depth.
However, that might not be fully true.
Jacob Parrish could address outside CB depth, despite ESPN’s concerns
“The Buccaneers have plenty of options in the slot,” Schatz wrote. “Tykee Smith was a nickel a couple of seasons ago, Jacob Parrish was a nickel in 2025 and fourth-round rookie Keionte Scott is a great nickel/safety hybrid addition.
“But what happens if there’s an injury to one of the starting outside cornerbacks, either Zyon McCollum or Benjamin Morrison? The third outside corner is Josh Hayes, who didn’t play a single defensive snap last season. The fourth outside corner is Damarion Williams, who hasn’t played any regular season snaps since 2023. Veterans such as Trevon Diggs and L’Jarius Sneed make sense here if they can be signed.”
Schatz’s logic is understandable, but his assertion is not totally correct as far as the Bucs’ outside depth. While Parrish manned the nickel corner as a rookie, he’s also capable of playing the boundary, and the team has plans to give him more of an opportunity there this year. He logged 127 snaps there last season as well. And as Schatz correctly noted, the Bucs have a viable nickel candidate in Scott and Smith.
Now, the Bucs could certainly use a solid veteran cornerback to add to the room and give them, at worst, a capable, higher-end backup. If the injury bug strikes the secondary as it did in 2024, then they’d certainly need the help. A surprise training camp cut would seem to be a more appropriate target than spending bigger money on a Diggs or Sneed.
But if they don’t add anyone, they at least have three potential candidates on the boundary in Benjamin Morrison, Zyon McCollum, and Parrish, and that’s not a bad trio to have.