Despite all of the players taken before him, Jamel Dean has had some incredibly bright moments so far this season and could end up as the best rookie from this draft class for the Bucs. Coming into the season Dean was a big question mark with his final location on the depth chart being one of mystery from the very beginning.
Dean was certainly talented while at Auburn but the initial belief was that he would either be the third corner on the depth chart or a solid depth player with Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis being the mostly likely starters. As fate would have it, Jamel Dean was forced onto the scene rather abruptly against the Seattle Seahawks due to injuries. This game was a rough one for a first start as he was mostly covering D.K. Metcalf and struggled, but he still had 4 passes defended.
Dean has showed up since being thrust into the frying pan and currently leads the team in passes defended with 13 and also has an interception. Dean pairs up perfectly with Carlton Davis as two very physical corners who fit the defense that the Bucs are sticking to. As Dean continues to get reps, he has shown the capacity to be a true shutdown man corner and could be one of the steals of the draft for the Bucs.