The Bucs have made some additions to the defense this offseason in an effort to help Todd Bowles get his side of the ball back on track in 2026 after a disastrous couple of years. The team has added inside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson thus far, with each move done with the intent of improving Tampa Bay’s front six.
But what about the back end of Bowles’ defense? Yes, there are starters in place with Zyon McCollum and some combination of Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish at cornerback and Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith at safety. There’s a startling lack of depth, though, especially at cornerback after Jamel Dean left to sign with the Steelers, Kindle Vildor signed with the Patriots and Bryce Hall playing in the UFL.
There’s a clear need for more depth at cornerback, and Todd Bowles made it clear at the 2026 NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, that they have their eyes on the position and a move or two should still be coming, whether via next month’s draft or free agency.
Bucs CBs Benjamin Morrison and Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“We definitely need another cornerback,” Bowles said. “Whether it’s a veteran or whether it’s a draft pick remains to be seen, and we’ll kind of go from there. We’d like to add one or two to the mix and kind of go forward from there. There are some good cornerbacks coming out in this draft, and there’s still a good few veteran cornerbacks out on the street, so we’ll play it by ear and see what we come up with.”
Right now, it’s McCollum, Morrison, Parrish and Josh Hayes as the Bucs’ options at outside cornerback. McCollum is coming off a shaky year, Morrison just struggled through an injury-plagued rookie season, Parrish excelled at nickel cornerback as a rookie and may be better suited for that role and Hayes has been a key special teamer and nothing more during his career thus far.
So, yes, Todd Bowles is right: The Bucs definitely need another cornerback.
Are Todd Bowles And The Bucs Looking For Another Tall Cornerback?
Since Todd Bowles’ arrival as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator in 2019, there’s been a pretty clear archetype that he and the team have liked at the outside cornerback positions. Players with size and length have typically been favored by Bowles and Co., with both Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean coming in at 6-foot, Zyon McCollum standing at 6-foot-2 and Benjamin Morrison being the latest 6-foot corner drafted during Bowles’ tenure.
So, as Bowles, Jason Licht and the Bucs look to add another cornerback or two this offseason, will that continue? Will they be prioritizing size the way they have in the past? According to what Bowles said Monday morning in Arizona, perhaps not.
“No, I don’t think it’s size. I think if you’re a good player, we’re looking at you,” he said. “I’ve seen some good players in this draft and then I’ve seen some good players out on the street and they’re not necessarily ideal size. But if you have enough savviness and you understand the game and can play, we don’t have a problem taking you.”
Bucs CB Jacob Parrish – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Perhaps there’s a recent example to illustrate Bowles’ willingness to adapt and perhaps stray away from what has seemed like a steadfast preference for taller, longer cornerbacks. Tampa Bay drafted Jacob Parrish out of Kansas State in the third round of the 2025 Draft, and with him measuring in at 5-foot-10, the immediate assumption from many was that the Bucs had found their new nickel cornerback.
But in his initial remarks about Parrish and even as time went on through rookie mini-camp and into the summer, Bowles pushed back on the idea of the former K-Stater being a slot-only guy, saying they were viewing him as an outside cornerback first.
Asked for the fastest player at Bucs rookie minicamp, Bowles said corner Jacob Parrish, adding that he can handle himself at outside corner as well as nickel: pic.twitter.com/PuG2uCLcim
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 10, 2025
It felt hard to believe him at the time given past tendencies, and when Parrish wound up as the starting nickel and went on to play 496 snaps in the slot to just 127 on the outside, it felt obvious that he had his role and that was that.
This offseason, though, Jamel Dean left and while the natural thought was that Morrison, a 2025 second-round pick, would step into the starting job opposite McCollum, both Bowles and Licht have discussed Parrish competing for that job as well. That’s something he reaffirmed in Arizona.
“He’ll definitely do both. He’ll definitely do both,” Bowles said. “I think he needs more reps outside because I think he’s just as good as an outside corner as he is as an inside corner. But it was so much for him last year to learn inside and outside confidently. I think he’s an outstanding nickel. I really do. But I think if you left him outside, he could be an outstanding corner. But then you would have to get another nickel.
“So, we’re gonna rep him and we’re gonna rotate him inside and out and see how he comes out of it the second year, this spring, and see how he feels in the summer and kind of go from there.”
With all of that said, maybe don’t rule out the Bucs being interested in cornerbacks in April’s draft or via free agency who are under the 6-foot mark. Because in this way, Todd Bowles may be adapting?