Buccaneers rookie poised to make an immediate impact for Todd Bowles

Members within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization — most notably general manager Jason Licht — have not been shy when it comes to expressing their excitement about this year's rookie class.

Not only did the Buccaneers address a number of key positional needs with their selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they truly believe they got great value on the players they drafted.

It goes without saying that first round Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka is already turning heads in Tampa Bay. But as a first-round pick, expectations will be high. The same goes for the team's second round selection, Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison. If not for a season-ending injury suffered in his final collegiate season, chances are Morrison would have been a first-round selection in April.

After drafting Morrison, the Bucs doubled down on the position with their next pick, selecting Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish in Round 3. Selecting two corners back-to-back was a wise approach by the Buccaneers' front office after they surprised nearly everyone with their decision to take a receiver in round one, adding to what was already a major position of strength.

With just over a week remaining before the 2025 NFL regular season kicks off, the training camp practice and preseason reps are about to fade into obscurity as the real test is about to begin for the Buccaneers' rookie class.

But as of this moment, all we have to evaluate is what we've seen so far. And according to at least one NFL expert, Parrish showed enough during the preseason to warrant serious consideration for being an impact player early in his career.

Bucky Brooks is a former NFL player and scout turned analyst who does his work for NFL.com and the NFL Network. As a respected expert in the industry and former second-round draft pick himself out of North Carolina, Brooks dove into the preseason tape to try and predict ten non-first-round picks who showed they can make an impact as rookies.

Brooks believes that Bucs rookie Jacob Parrish is one of those players.

Former NFL scout likes what he's seen from Buccaneers rookie

"Todd Bowles' aggressive scheme needs high-IQ defensive backs to create the kind of chaos that induces opposing QBs to commit game-changing blunders. Parrish fits the bill as an instinctive playmaker with superb instincts and diagnostic skills." Brooks wrote. "After a stellar preseason that has featured three passes defensed in limited action, the Buccaneers' third-round pick could crack the lineup as an inside or outside corner in the team's sub-packages. Given how Bowles leans into pressure in crucial moments, Parrish could emerge as a difference-maker in a turnover-obsessed defensive backfield that attacks the ball at every turn."

Versatility is key

Parrish is an explosive athlete and his gritty style of play made an impression on his coaches this preseason as well. As of this moment, Parrish is listed as the starting nickel cornerback on the team's official depth chart. The fact that he is capable of playing on the outside as well only adds to the versatility he already brings to the table.

Although earlier draft picks like Egbuka and Morrison may have gotten most of the publicity from the media, don't sleep on Jacob Parrish, as the dynamic young player looks ready to make an immediate impact for Tampa Bay in his rookie season.

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