With the secondary being shaky at times this year, here is a list of top-rated lockdown cornerbacks that the Buccaneers can afford.
Throughout the majority of the season, opposing teams’ quarterbacks went crazy on the Buccaneers’ secondary. The Buccaneer secondary is one of the youngest in the league and it is led by a rookie safety – Antoine Winfield Jr.
As it would turn out, the secondary got hot down the stretch of the season, and outside of the Wild Card game against the Washington Football Team, they played lockdown coverage throughout the entirety of the playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Buccaneers secondary had five total interceptions. What’s even more impressive is who they picked off – Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
Even with their impressive play in the postseason, throughout the majority of the season, it was the Bucs’ secondary that was the weak link on the team. In their first matchup against the Chiefs, Mahomes threw the ball for over 200 yards in the first quarter.
They also allowed Jared Goff to throw for nearly 400 yards, and in their first meeting against the Falcons, Matt Ryan threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns.
Again, this group buckled down as the season wore on, but the Bucs still need consistency in their coverage. The Buccaneers don’t have a Jalen Ramsey or a Richard Sherman, and with the talented quarterbacks that are in the league, teams need someone who isn’t afraid to lock down a team’s best receiver.
Quick note. The Buccaneers are projected to have plenty of cap space heading into the offseason, and while they have some big names they need to re-sign, with a little bit of contract restructuring, they should have plenty of cap space to sign one of these corners.