The Bucs’ pass coverage in 2024 was a major liability to the point where the offense had to score 30+ points a game to keep the team anywhere near serious. General manager Jason Licht knew this and took the necessary steps this offseason to change it, and the early return on investment is tremendous.

Specifically from his rookie cornerback draft picks. While Benjamin Morrison is starting to come on strong, Jacob Parrish has set the tone from the minute he stepped on the field back at rookie minicamp.

PFF recently gathered the highest graded rookies from the class through four weeks, and Parrish is the second-highest with a grade of 85.6. PFF’s Lauren Gray writes, “Parrish graded out as the NFL’s fifth-best cornerback in Week 4, earning an 89.7 mark against the Buccaneers. He recorded a 90.9 PFF coverage grade (fourth best), limiting receivers to zero yards on two catches, both screen stops. He nearly got his first career pick after jumping in front of A.J. Brown early in the fourth quarter. Parrish now has seven coverage stops on the season, with multiple stops in consecutive games. . .Parrish plays primarily from the slot, having seen the fourth-most snaps at the position through four weeks (96). He owns a 71.9 man-coverage PFF grade with one catch allowed for negative yards. He ranks 10th in zone PFF coverage grade (82.9), limiting receivers to 38 yards on eight catches.”

Parrish has been all over the field for the Bucs, and it has allowed the defense to look impressive against several notable teams, most recently the Philadelphia Eagles. And while he hasn’t secured an interception yet, the deeper numbers show he has made more of an impact than any singular interception could.

Jason Licht has found another diamond in the rough in a draft class.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs defense boasts one of the top rookies in 2025 in their secondary