Is Jamel Dean the shutdown corner Buccaneers have sought after?

After many highs and lows in the secondary, the rookie Jamel Dean seems poised to take over a starting spot after the release of Vernon Hargreaves.

Jamel Dean has had a rollercoaster of a beginning to his starting duties in 2019. In week nine against the Seattle Seahawks Dean got torched on several imperative plays by fellow rookie D.K. Metcalf when he was thrust into the starting position. Despite the game that Metcalf was able to have, Dean did have an impressive four passes defended and five tackles.

Last week in week ten versus the Arizona Cardinals Dean was able to add four more passes defended (bringing his season total to eight) and also had an interception that helped swing the tide of the game in the favor of the Bucs. Dean was able to accomplish this while only playing 48% of the defensive snaps. It is starting to become a trend that whenever Dean is on the field he will find the ball.

Dean has had a very substantial learning curve but has shown that he can make big time plays when necessary. The pressure may be substantial for the rookie but pressure makes diamonds, and for now the 2019 draft class has started to look better than it had during the first half of the season.

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At the rate that he is playing Dean should certainly be a starter for this week on the outside, especially considering the injuries and lack of depth in the secondary right now. Dean has shown a large amount of heart throughout his time in Tampa and his hustle will shine through his play, something that Vernon Hargreaves failed to do.

Dean should continue getting snaps for the rest of this year to continue to grow as a player. While this season is not a total wash for the Bucs just yet, expectations should be set on trying to grow and to then compete for a playoff spot next season. The best way to do this is to continue giving Dean snaps and seeing just how well he can play with a high volume of reps.

With Dean playing at this level he will pair up nicely with fellow Auburn Tiger Carlton Davis. Davis has played well this season when healthy and this duo could be one of the first big steps in righting the ship that is the Buccaneer secondary. With the two Auburn Tigers on the outside and the lack of depth on the roster this move will also allow Sean Murphy-Bunting to be on the field at the nickel providing him with some much-needed experience.

These moves may seem frightening to a team that has the worst secondary in the league, but it should be remembered that the team is young and trending upwards. Davis has come into his own in his second year, Dean looks like one of the better Buccaneer rookies, and SMB will hopefully pick up the pace soon to help tie the secondary together, but for now the glue that keeps the stat sheet together for the Bucs is Jamel Dean.