Execs, Coaches, Scouts Survey: Neither Carlton Davis Nor Jamel Dean Is A Top-15 Cornerback

July 11th, 2023

Cornerback Jamel Dean.

This is sure to further the small divide at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters.

It’s the time of year when ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler releases the results of his annual survey of team executives, scouts, coaches and some players. About 80 are polled and tasked with ranking the top-10 players at each position and comments are solicited. The voters are anonymous.

The top-10 cornerbacks list was released today and now Buccaneer is to be found. The five honorable mentions named? No Bucs player there, either.

The Joe typing here is not surprised (the other Joe might rifle a Big Storm beer can at passing neighbors). Watch game after game after NFL game and it’s hard to call Bucs starters Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean worthy of the top shelf at their position.

Each is good and a legitimate No. 1 cornerback. But are they among the upper half of the best 32 corners in the game? That’s no slam dunk.

Neither Davis nor Dean has shown good or consistent hands, and Dean has issues with zone coverage too often. Don’t blame playing in Tampa. That excuse is old news. Dean and Davis have had massive national exposure for three consecutive seasons.

Joe is sort of glad the Bucs corners got a ranking that likely has them irked. It might get Davis “to wreck sh*t” this season in a more prominent manner.

26 Responses to “Execs, Coaches, Scouts Survey: Neither Carlton Davis Nor Jamel Dean Is A Top-15 Cornerback”

  1. Bojim Says:

    In the upper half but not top 10.

  2. Statistically Insignificant Reader Says:

    sigh……. can’t wait for season to start. All of these “top” lists are getting old. This is a comprehensive survey that became a list, so not really a list. –Joe
    I do appreciate the articles Joe. Got to have something until camp starts none to soon.

  3. zzbucs Says:

    @Bojim

    Agree with you 100% Sir!!!

  4. Lt. Dan Says:

    Although I always appreciate the insight and context Joe’s…this is old news so it’s not really news at all.

    Now this IS news however, “(the other Joe might rifle a Big Storm beer can at passing neighbors)” Dang!

  5. Rod Munch Says:

    Yeah, they’re probably not top 10, but they’re still really good starters in the top 25 or 30 I’d say, plus they have the ability to be top 5 in any given year.

    Also, what kind of a-hole is triggered by rankings? Just because your uncle touched you at night while Letterman was doing his wacky top 10 lists, well, you need to get over it already.

  6. Jack Burton Mercer Says:

    They are good players and keepers. But like the old coach said, I will tolerate you until I can replace you. If we have a chance to get a better CB next year, then we should do it.

  7. JD Still Says:

    It doesn’t matter where you start in the eyes of prognosticators, ( guessers), the only thing that matters are your stat sheets when you are finished.

  8. Dooley Says:

    “Dean has issues with zone coverage too often.”

    LOL wut? maybe back in 2019 yea, but since no he does not have issues in zone coverage, one of his most impressive plays of 2022 was a hybridized drop into cover 3 to cover the deep middle when we showed man pre-snap and that play ended in an INT in the endzone. yikes

  9. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    CATCH THE BALL!!!!

  10. Bring back the lawn chairs Says:

    Good grief, in the last game the Bucs played, our secondary couldn’t cover little bo peep or her lost sheep. At home. Under the lights. And in front of a nation, with Tom Brady.
    Some people remember. As painful as it was. Denial isn’t a river in egypt you know Joe.

  11. Bring back the lawn chairs Says:

    I hope that the secondary doesn’t fall into that ‘toast’ catagory as a unit. Communication should definitely become a priority with this batch…. With many many hours spent in the classroom for sure. Repeated blown coverages shouldn’t be the norm in the playoffs.

  12. Jeff Says:

    They’re not. They are solid B players receiving B+ money. Light signed these guys long term for his own resume.

  13. SlyPirate Says:

    Not worried about the Bucs:
    -CBs
    -Ss
    -LBs
    -DTs

    OLB is our only question mark … and they may be pretty good this year.

  14. Allen Lofton Says:

    THIS GOES TO TELL YOU THAT MOST SPORTS WRITERS ARE INCOMPETENT AND TO LAZY TO TAKE THEIR PROFESSION SERIOUSLY – LOOKING FOR THE EASY WHY OUT LIKE MOST PEOPLE.

  15. Beej Says:

    They’re both lockdowns in man coverage, though they don’t get many picks. It DOES allow us to blitz more

  16. DoooshLaRue Says:

    Also, what kind of a-hole is triggered by rankings? Just because your uncle touched you at night while Letterman was doing his wacky top 10 lists, well, you need to get over it already.
    ____________

    So what time are you having your nephew over to play Madden Uncle Rod?

  17. Red Skeleton Says:

    They need to stay healthy first

  18. Voice of Truth Says:

    Neither of them are shut down corners – they both struggle – Davis with speed, Dean with cutting – neither makes many big plays and Davis can’t catch a cold

    16-20 sounds about right actually for both of them

    Our only top ten secondary player is AW3

  19. dmatt Says:

    I agree, especially regarding Dean. I’m still not sold on him as even a top 15 cb. Based on my 4 yrs of observing him, he plays too stiff, passive, lackadaisical, n sometimes confused. He has poor reaction time. For a player his size with top speed, he does not know how to use his physical attributes. He should be a young aggressive Aqib Talib. His lack of aggressiveness with his speed n size is what stands out to me.

  20. Jeremy Couch Says:

    Agreed. They’re both mediocre and neither is a game changer.

  21. Da Bucs Guy Says:

    The worse he pass rush, the worse these CB’s are. And they might end up in the bottom 10.

  22. Oviedo Jim Says:

    The peeing contest between the bucs and the media continues.

  23. garro Says:

    You lost me at anonymous survey and BSPN.
    Jeremy has put the BS in BSPN.

    Geez!

    Go Bucs!

  24. 97 bucBaby Says:

    Lmbo like I’ve said numerous times….. they both are bums. CD plays hurt after he gets burned, he can’t catch, speedy receivers embarrass him, they throw to his cover or Devin white’s cover when they want a first down 🤷🏾‍♂️. Now Dean he garbage but he better than Davis. He can’t catch either, slants and double moves kicks his butt every time and he’s also a bit injury prone. Honestly neither was worth the money they received. But the worst Zone defensive player ever to play the game is Devin White, HE’S ALWAYS LOST.

  25. Jeffrey Becker Says:

    top 15 is excellent but top 25 is damn excellent too in the NFL

  26. Brandon Says:

    Neither are ballhawks. Plain and simple. Dean is still a shutdown CB. Doesn’t matter what suits say. NFL teams don’t throw at him.