Underrated Jamel Dean
September 3rd, 2021
Strong numbers.
Joe sometimes notices a reader grousing about Jamel Dean as an NFL cornerback. Some aren’t yet sold that Dean is a quality corner.
Well, for those who are not big Dean fans and grumble about his skills, the numbers don’t bear out that Dean is overmatched.
In fact, Thomas Bassinger of Football Outsiders points out only four cornerbacks in the NFL last year allowed fewer yards per pass attempt into their coverage areas than Dean.
š Jamel Dean already has established himself as one of the leagueās top cover corners. Only four cornerbacks allowed fewer yards per pass into their coverage last seasonāBryce Callahan (4.0), Jaire Alexander (4.5), Jalen Ramsey (4.8), and Bradley Roby (5.5). Dean intercepted only one pass, but it was a special one. With the Buccaneers trailing the Packers 10-0 in Week 8, he jumped on an Aaron Rodgers pass to Davante Adams and returned it for a touchdown, the first of 38 straight points for Tampa Bay. Rodgers had thrown only two other pick-sixes in his career.
Dean is sneaky good. Just ask drama queen Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
If the Bucs’ secondary plays as well this season as it did down the stretch and into the playoffs, the Bucs defense could be lights out.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:06 am
Guy is huge !
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:26 am
Very good insight, Joe.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:28 am
Have pulled for Dean from day one. Huge talent that had some injury concerns in college and seemed to have a bit of trouble acclimating to the NFL at the beginning. But enormously talented. Hoping he has a strong year.
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:31 am
He can come up and lay a hit as well!
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:47 am
Thank you Mid. š
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:50 am
JD is has been a ramblin gamblin man, hit and miss.
Massive hit in the GBay game, pick 6 against A Rod but then looking like Rod “burnt Toast “Jones a former 1st round draft pick of the late 80’s Bucs at other times.
Time will tell if he can adjust better and take the next step, but it is a little of Feast or Famine with JD so far.
GO BUCS!!!!!!
September 3rd, 2021 at 8:52 am
Dean is a good corner. He’s aggressive which makes him susceptible on double moves. But I like him. long, lean and fast.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:00 am
Jamal dean has all the physical attributes…..extreme speed…..size…..tackling….I think he sometimes gets fooled….but he’s improving yearly.
I expect our DBs will do very well this year with another year of experience.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:18 am
Dean and CDIII and the best CB duo in the NFC.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:23 am
I read a couple publications and Dean is never listed a top 10 or 25 CB. I think this will change this year. He just needs a few INT stats.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:25 am
For some strange reason Dean was the whipping boy among all the DBs, at least on another Bucs fan site. I couldn’t figure it out, Dean looked very good in coverage. To me the weak link was SMB who, it was later disclosed, was dealing with an injury during the season. I’d like to see SMB play healthy and at a high level this season.
I think the starting DBs are fine. My only concern has been the quality of the depth. QBs in the NFL will zero in on the weakest link, making CB depth important. Dee Delaney looked good, let’s hope he sustains that level of performance into the regular season.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:58 am
dean is great corner when playing man press… he is average at best in zone.
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:11 am
100% with you Fish……On a great roster I think CB is the weakest part of it….doesnĀ“t mean is bad, and when you take a look and that position in the past, not long ago, makes this ones shine….Everything shines against VHIII, Grimes,MJ Stewart, and so on……
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:25 am
He was bad to start the season last year but I guess has been fairly steady since. Do not confuse him for a star.
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:38 am
You canāt coach speed , size, and god given athletic talent
Nor can you coach how to persevere through injuries
Deanās upside is high IMO
Smart player
September 3rd, 2021 at 10:49 am
You canāt coach size, speed, and god given athletic talent
Deanās upside is high IM0
I became a Jamel Dean fan after we drafted him and learned about his perseverance through injury in high school and Auburn
Would like to see him come down with more picks and get QBs ass on the grass when he blitzes
Go Bucs
September 3rd, 2021 at 11:48 am
I like Dean, donāt get me wrong, but is this ācoverage areaā stat not taking into account when he got beat by a double move? That seemed to happen to Dean often, in my opinion, anyway.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Do not judge Dean based on his Mike Smith 20-yard-cushion experience.
That’s not his game.
He is a press corner, more Bowles style.
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:19 pm
The man played an entire season with a broken arm. Heās an American Bada$$
September 3rd, 2021 at 12:30 pm
The young but talented Bucs secondary will continue to improve.
I expect to see a few glaring breakdowns over the first few games of the season with continued improvement and ‘gelling’ towards solid and fairly consistently good play – just like we saw at the end of last season.
If the front 7 can stay healthy and play up to their potential – the secondary will be the beneficiary and make lots of great plays in 2021.
September 3rd, 2021 at 9:17 pm
Iāve been saying that since last year. When heās healthy I think heās the other starting CB. Heās the fastest DB they have. I think SMB ends up being a slot guy
September 3rd, 2021 at 11:44 pm
Dean solid in my opinion yeah he gets fooled by that double move here and there but his speed makes up for it.
September 4th, 2021 at 5:23 am
LOL!
Stats can be deceiving.
Dean got CRUSHED in several games last season. He was completely embarrassed on some routes.
I’m not buying these stats as some sort of indicator that he’s good. The FILM doesn’t lie.
September 4th, 2021 at 11:10 am
BradyBucs: The only game I saw Dean get crushed in was the Seattle game, and that was in his rookie year. He may have been beaten badly in the NY Giants game, but they didnāt complete some of the wide open passes. I do agree that this stat is misleading, from what Iāve seen I donāt believe he should be ranked this high.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Joe in Michigan,
Yep, there were many times, like that Giants game you gave a great example for, that he was COMPLETELY BEATEN and out of position but the QB just wasn’t able to make a good throw. He has done that often.
I think more than anything, that stat shows that he’s more LUCKY than good.
He definitely has to pick it up. How quickly people forget how badly he played last season. He makes a pick six off Rodgers and everyone though he was an instant Pro Bowler. Than much of the rest of the reason he played terrible.
September 5th, 2021 at 6:24 pm
I have been beating the drum for this kid since his first game against Seattle 2 years ago.
Dude just has instincts for locating the ball. He didnāt start until halfway through the season that year, and he still ended up tied for the most passes defended. Obviously would like to see some of those turn into picks, but Iāll take an incompletion any day.