With Jamel Dean gone, Benjamin Morrison, the former second-round pick, must overcome his injury history to anchor Tampa Bay’s secondary and prove he can be an elite lockdown corner.
On Monday, FOX Sports NFL Reporter Greg Auman listed the ten players who are most likely to breakout in year 2, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison taking the No. 7 spot.
"Tampa Bay allowed cornerback Jamel Dean to leave for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency and hasn't made any significant additions at outside corner, so they're trusting that Benjamin Morrison and Zyon McCollum can be much improved, with the help of an upgraded defensive front," Auman wrote. "As much as anything, the former second-round pick must show he can stay healthy after missing seven games as a rookie with a hamstring injury."
Morrison has dealt with injuries throughout his rookie campaign, limiting him to just 10 games played and a choppy start to his NFL career.
After his return, Morrison filled in for McCollum, who went down with a hip injury in Week 15.
From that point on, Morrison and Dean took on the outside defensive back responsibilities, manning a defensive backfield of young, inexperienced corners.
Injuries have been the main concern with Morrison, who also missed 10 games due to a hip injury in his final season with Notre Dame.
In college, Morrison was a mobile corner, moving in and out of the slot and outside, while earning team captain honors.
His mobility and versatility were part of the reasons Tampa selected him in the second round of last year's draft, building a young cornerback duo of Morrison and Jacob Parrish.
While Parrish serves as a nickel, utilizing his tackling ability and pursuit speed, Morrison will be expected to take a big jump as a coverage corner, especially after Dean's departure.
Morrison showed signs of growth towards the end of his rookie season, totaling a season-high seven tackles against the Carolina Panthers in late December.
Following this showing, head coach Todd Bowles complimented Morrison for his play.
"He pressed. He got up there. He wasn’t afraid of anybody," Bowles said. "He made some plays on the ball. He gave up one play, but he was smothered all over him. Obviously the fade ball, he wanted him to stay on top, but he did a really good job seeing the run game. He did a really good job making some plays on the perimeter.”
In Tampa's season finale, the former Fighting Irish standout recovered the game-sealing fumble late in the fourth quarter to secure a 16-14 victory.
With Dean in Pittsburgh and Zyon McCollum under contract through 2028, Morrison is expected to be at-minimum, Tampa's CB2 going forward.
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