Who is the biggest surprise for the Buccaneers at the season's midway point?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense has come on strong the past couple of weeks, with the offense not able to find much consistency. They have turned the ball over at a rapid rate and continue to show they can hang with some of the best offenses in the league.

The turnaround on the defensive side of the ball this season is a large reason why the Buccaneers currently own the second overall seed in the NFC at 6-2 and why they believe they can have an even stronger second half of the year.

The Bucs have been able to create pressures and sacks and cover the middle of the field, but perhaps the biggest improvement has come from the secondary. After improving the depth this offseason, Tampa Bay's secondary has become a problem for opposing offenses, and a key reason for that has been the excellent play from rookie nickel cornerback Jacob Parrish.

Parrish's strong play has gone mostly unnoticed by the national media, but Pro Football Focus is paying attention and has him listed as the Bucs' biggest surprise of the season at the midway point.

Parrish is Bucs' biggest surprise

Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish (25) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"The Buccaneers’ secondary has no shortage of playmakers, and Parrish is one. The rookie has stepped up promptly with an 81.4 PFF run-defense grade, the third-best among qualified cornerbacks."

Parrish slotted immediately into the slot corner position for the Bucs and has done nothing but impress early in his career.

The numbers might not tell the whole story, but the rook has been fantastic in run defense as well as playing slot receivers sticky. He has shown a twitch to react quickly, respond even when he makes a mistake and he can even come off the edge to rush the quarterback, with two sacks on the season.

Parrish has fit in well next to Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, Antoine Winfield Jr. and the rest of the Buccaneers' secondary. With plenty of tough competition still ahead on the schedule, Parrish and the boys will have to continue their strong play to maintain their current pace of the NFC South crown and a high seed in the NFC playoff seeding.

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