The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may already have the future of their secondary in place, and 1 of them may be in line for a breakout season in 2026 with cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman put Morrison, a 2025 2nd-round pick (No. 53 overall), at the top of his list of 2nd-year players ready to “make the leap” to stardom in 2026.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense was a major part of their second-half collapse, losing seven of eight games and missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons,” Auman wrote. “Tampa Bay allowed cornerback Jamel Dean to leave for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency and hasn’t made any significant additions at outside corner, so they’re trusting that Benjamin Morrison and Zyon McCollum can be much improved, with the help of an upgraded defensive front. As much as anything, the former second-round pick must show he can stay healthy after missing seven games as a rookie with a hamstring injury.”
Injury Cost Benjamin Morrison 1st Round Status
Morrison, the son of former NFL safety Darryl Morrison, spent the first 2 seasons of his college career as the lockdown cornerback for Notre Dame and seemed to have everything NFL teams want in a 1st-round pick.
That was, until an injury derailed all those plans.
Morrison suffered a hip injury after 6 games that required surgery and watched from the sidelines as Notre Dame made a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game without him.
Morrison still declared for the NFL draft and, unable to work out for teams, watched his stock dip until the Buccaneers selected him in the 2nd round.
Before the 2025 season, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak predicted Morrison would be the player who eventually replaced Dean.
“A likely first-rounder if not for a series of hip injuries at Notre Dame, Morrison has the talent to beat out Jamel Dean for the CB2 job in Tampa Bay,” Solak wrote in July 2025. “He would have to stay healthier than Dean, who missed four and five games in each of the past two seasons, and tapped out mid-game in other contests, including the Buccaneers’ playoff loss to the Commanders … Morrison will have the first crack at winning the job from Dean in camp. I’d expect him to rotate in for first-team reps over the first couple of weeks.”
Fellow Rookie Cornerback Overshadowed Morrison
Morrison might become a star in his 2nd season — a fellow cornerback and 2025 draft pick did it from the jump.
The Buccaneers selected Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish in the 3rd round (No. 84 overall), and he carved out his own unique piece of NFL history in his 1st season in Tampa.
Parrish was one of 2 Buccaneers to make the NFL All-Rookie Team alongside wide receiver and first round pick (No. 19 overall) Emeka Egbuka.
From the Bucs’ official X account: “CB Jacob Parrish in 2025: The fourth rookie DB since 2010 to record 75+ tackles and multiple INTs/sacks, joining Kansas City’s Eric Berry in 2010, L.A. Chargers‘ Derwin James in 2018 and Washington’s Kamren Curl in 2020.”
Parrish, 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, didn’t just put up good stats — he also graded out well on tape. Pro Football Focus gave Parrish a 69.3 overall grade for his rookie season, putting him at 26th out of 114 eligible NFL cornerbacks.
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