Benjamin Morrison had a disappointing rookie year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team drafted him with their second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after an incredible college career at Notre Dame, but he didn’t make the impact the team had hoped for.
Morrison missed much of his rookie offseason due to a nagging hamstring injury, and missed seven regular season games. In the limited games that he did play, Morrison went through the typical rookie growing pains.
The Bucs need Morrison to take a huge leap in his second season for him to solidify himself as a cornerstone for the future and justify his draft status. He’s off to a hot start in OTAs, and is building momentum for a bounce-back sophomore season.
Benjamin Morrison steals the show with a pick-six off Baker Mayfield during Buccaneers OTAs
The Buccaneers’ second session of OTAs kicked off this week, and Morrison had the play of the day on Tuesday.
He intercepted a pass from Baker Mayfield and returned it for a touchdown. That’s the type of playmaking the team needs to see in their young corner.
Morrison recorded 9 interceptions during his college career and 18 passes broken up. During his rookie year he had 4 PBUs, but didn’t record any interceptions. It’s encouraging to see him kick this offseason off on a better note.
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles on Benjamin Morrison’s interception pic.twitter.com/62SpUjNgtZ
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) June 2, 2026
“It’s great for him to have a healthy offseason. Last year he was nicked up throughout so that helped out a lot,” said Todd Bowles via Pewter Report. “For him to make that play, it’s the first one he’s caught. I didn’t think he could until today, so that was impressive.”
Dropped interceptions have been a consistent trend in Tampa Bay for years, especially thanks to former cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis. It’s funny to hear Bowles joke with Morrison about his dropped interceptions and give him a ribbing for it — hopefully it provides the motivation for Morrison to keep catching them and making plays.
If Morrison comes on strong this season, the floor the defense raises significantly. After major upgrades for the pass rush and inside linebacker spots this offseason, cornerback is the biggest question mark remaining on the roster.
If Morrison can put those questions to bed, the sky is the limit for this Bucs defense in 2026.
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