3 Buccaneers undrafted rookies who are guaranteed a roster spot after stellar preseason
By Josh Hill
Christian Izien, S
A lot of talk was made about some of the Bucs offensive UDFAs who were brought to training camp, but there's was an absolute stud on defense who made his presence known.
Just like Sean Tucker, Christian Izien came to camp with a lot of buzz for a guy that nobody wanted to use a draft pick on in April. He was undersized to the point where he flew under everyone's radar, but Jason Licht saw something in the Rutgers safety that he felt the need to take a chance on.
It seems Licht has struck gold again.
Izien is likley going to land one of the nickel corner spots on the depth chart, probably ending up in the same defensive backs room as Antoine Winfield Jr. That would be fitting, since it was Winfield's endorsement of Izien earlier this offseason that started to put him on the map for those paying close attention.
“He reminds me of myself,” Winfield said earlier this offseason. “We’re kind of similar stature. He’s put into the same roles that I was in so it’s good seeing him out there. He’s learning, he’s a smart player, but he’s learning.”
Since then, Izien has impressed coaches with a strong training camp and respectable preseason. He was originally looking like a safety but the fact that coaches are moving him into the nickel corner slot tells you all you need to know about how highly he's valued and how much folks want to keep him around.
Izien is going to not only add versatility to the Bucs secondary, but he's adding depth to a safety room that might end up being among the league's best when all is said and done.