The first day of Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie minicamp is in the books this year, and there's a lot to sift through -- almost all of it good.
Every single player the Bucs brought in during the draft, as well as the undrafted free agents and tryout players who joined after, took the field for the first time, hoping to make a strong first impression on the coaching staff.
Two Bucs rookies did just that, earning praise from head coach Todd Bowles for their performances.
Defensive Rookies Shine on first day of Buccaneers Minicamp
Jacob Parrish
Parrish, who the team drafted with the No. 84 overall selection in the third round, seems poised for a significant role on the Bucs defense as a rookie.
The expectation is that with last year’s third-round pick Tykee Smith moving from nickel to safety, Parrish was drafted to be the Bucs’ starting nickel cornerback in 2025. But Todd Bowles made it clear he sees Parrish as much more than just a nickel in his defense.
“He can play outside corner. We’ve got him learning nickel, but I’m very comfortable with him outside,” head coach Todd Bowles said in his press conference. “He can start at corner in this league, probably for anybody. And he can play inside as well, so that’s the beauty of him. He’s not just a nickel, I think he’s an outside corner first and then a nickel second. So the fact he plays inside is just a bonus for us.”
Parrish’s versatility will only raise his stock within the organization. Bowles is known to value position versatility in the secondary, and Parrish being interchangeable both outside and inside gives him a chance for more playing time and also provides a boost to the overall secondary depth.
On his first day of Buccaneers Rookie Minicamp, Parrish got reps at both nickel and outside cornerback and even came away with an interception in coverage against the team's first-round pick, Emega Egbuka.
Bowles tempered expectations in his press conference, reminding everyone that the pads still haven’t come on yet, but nonetheless, it was clear that Parrish caught Bowles’ eye.
“It’s good to see him do some things,” said Bowles. “Again, it’s T-shirt and shorts, but it’s good to see him make a first impression.”
David Walker
“We saw the quickness obviously earlier today. He was probably the best T-shirt and helmet player we had out there today,” said Bowles.
Calling Walker, a fourth-round selection, the best player on the field is big praise from Bowles.
Bowles went on to mention that he looks forward to seeing Walker develop an understanding of the scheme and terminology, which vastly differs from what he was asked to do in college.
Walker seems to be an in-house favorite already. During an appearance on The Pat & Aaron Show on 95.3 WDAE, general manager Jason Licht gushed about his new pass-rusher.
“David Walker, just wow,” said Licht. “He’s one of my favorite players; I mean a lot of people can say that around here. You probably saw the video of [outside linebackers coach] Larry Foote just jumping up and down, literally doing cartwheels to get David.”
Licht also mentioned that he had to restrain himself from trading up to acquire Walker. In fact, Licht was so afraid he wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to move up, that he allowed assistant general manager Mike Greenberg and vice president of football research Jackie Davidson to handle trades during the draft.
The Buccaneers are ecstatic with their selection of Walker in the fourth round, and his impressive first day of Minicamp has only gotten the folks at One Buccaneer Place even more excited.
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