Buccaneers Will Massively Miss This Defensive Player Who Signed With Steelers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a similar-looking secondary in 2026 to the one they had in 2026, save for one key difference.

Cornerback Zyon McCollum is still around, looking to improve off an up-and-down season in 2025. Second-year CB Benjamin Morrison is set to take a big step and a bigger role, and defensive back Jacob Parrish, who played nickel corner last year, is joining the outside room to bolster the rotation and get some more prominent snaps.

All those players will return in 2026, but one player who won't is cornerback Jamel Dean. Dean, who the Bucs drafted in 2019, won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and has been a stalwart in the secondary when he's healthy. Because he hasn't been often, though, the Bucs let him walk in free agency, and he's joining the Pittsburgh Steelers this season in the AFC.

Dean had problems staying on the field during his time with the Bucs. But according to one major NFL statistician, he was a huge deal to the secondary when he was healthy, and the Bucs might miss him quite a bit.

Buccaneers Will Sorely Miss Jamel Dean

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Statistician Warren Sharp broke down Tampa Bay's 2026 outlook in his 2026 Football Preview, and he had an interesting tidbit about Tampa Bay's defense with and without Dean.

"Dean is an underrated departure, as the Bucs pass defense had major splits the last two years with Dean on or off the field," Sharp wrote, per JoeBucsFan.

The statistics are intriguing. With Dean on the field, the Bucs defense was No. 11 in EPA/pass attempt (-0.01), No. 14 in success rate (46%), No. 12 in yards per attempt (7.0) and No. 10 in opposing quarterback rating (89). Without Dean, though? EPA/pass attempt dropped to No. 32 (+0.18), success rate to No. 31 (50%), yards per attempt to No. 31 (7.9) and quarterback rating to No. 32 (112).

Dean was a veteran who had only ever played in Todd Bowles' defensive system, and he knew it very well and had the skill to perform in it. The only problem was that he was hurt very, very often — Dean missed 21 regular-season games during his seven seasons with the Bucs.

Clearly, though, he had a huge impact when he did play. And now, it's up to Tampa Bay's young secondary to make it happen this upcoming season.

Can Younger CBs Step Up?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) warms up before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buccaneers will rely on a very young outside cornerbacks room in 2026, and it's one they've trusted considerably this offseason.

The Bucs didn't opt to draft or sign any veteran outside corners to start, paving the way for McCollum and Morrison to start on either side. Parrish had a strong season at nickel last year, and he offers some good depth on the outside while potentially competing for an outside spot if he can really shine over either incumbent starter.

The Bucs did add defensive back Keionte Scott in the draft to play nickel, and he adds a dimension as a blitzer and in the run game that can bolster the secondary. But pass defense will be up to this young corps, and they won't have time for growing pains as the Buccaneers are set to try to win the NFC South after losing it last season to the Carolina Panthers.

McCollum, Morrison and Parrish have all been participating in the offseason, but we'll get the best look at them so far when they report to training camp with the rest of the team on July 28.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google