Statheads Suggest Bucs’ Secondary Balling Out
November 2nd, 2025
“Don’t make a scene.”
One of the better stathead outfits with interesting insight is Sports Information Solutions (SIS). A lot of noted NFL analysts use SIS data.
Looking at defensive backs, Joe noticed something odd, but in a good way for the Bucs. SIS rates defensive backs with a variety of criteria including pass breakups, yards per target, completion percentage and more.
In compiling data of defensive backs, they have the four starting Bucs defensive backs (Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield, Tykee Smith and Zyon McCollum) all in the top-17 defensive backs. That is pretty impressive.
SIS has Dean rated the NFL’s top cornerback. Of the top-20 defensive backs (SIS lumps corners in with safeties), Dean allows the lowest completion percentage at 40 percent.
Who would have guessed back in August that Dean would emerge as perhaps the NFL’s best corner?
Now let’s cross our fingers he can stay healthy.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:31 am
Dean – 1
Smith – 7
Winfield – 9
McCollum – 17
out of 128 ‘starting’ DBs in the league…..
Wow – that IS impressive!
Parrish is playing well also…. Morrison has shown flashes….
Vildor certainly held his own when called upon…. and Bryce Hall is waiting his turn on the practice squad….
So the Bucs clearly have the best secondary in the NFL….
Yet with all that backfield talent – the Bucs D has given up way too many big plays and way too many points this year to be considered a top defense.
Tampa Bay needs more consistent and ferocious pass rush from the front 4/5 – and better coverage from the Linebackers. Improve those elements and this Bucs defense could be very good…..
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:38 am
Parrish has played really well. Morrison is gaining confidence.
November 2nd, 2025 at 1:55 am
When you pressure a player to take a salary cut, you should always include incentives for him to make it up if he balls out just to keep hope alive that you can retain him if he does ball out.
The Bucs were right to rework the deal. But, incentives to recoup at least most of what he gave up is only fair.
November 2nd, 2025 at 2:09 am
damn good secondary…(yes debatably the best in the nfl, or up there)
but i do not like that there is no game today…it pisses me off something awful…!
but good for the players – they need the rest
November 2nd, 2025 at 4:41 am
That’s great that Dean is playing great this season but given all the other players (including Baker) Licht is going to have to give a pay increase to in the next year or two, it will be difficult to pay Dean anywhere close to his true market value going forward. He can’t pay everyone, and given the depth we have at CB, I’m doubtful we can re-sign him, but I’d like to be wrong about this. It’s a position where we do need quality depth.
November 2nd, 2025 at 5:43 am
Trade Dean for an ILB while he’s hot.
November 2nd, 2025 at 6:27 am
Glad Dean is having an exceptional season. Funny what a contract year can do. Don’t forget his history, but I hope he can maintain his performance this season.
November 2nd, 2025 at 6:45 am
I take everything different Statheads say with a grain of salt.
Many times we complaint when PFF grades come out (or other platforms) and we dont like or we dont agree with it. We should not applaud when the grades favor us and we like them.
I read but dont take too seriously these grades good or bad.
If we had more PBUs and INTs then I could say the secondary is playing really good. Until then I believe they tease us and leave a lot to be desired. Coverage must be tighter.
Go Bucs
November 2nd, 2025 at 6:57 am
To be fair, it too Ronde Barber five years to become great. He ended up being the best we’ve had.
Dean can be re-signed if the Bucs want him. It can even appear to be a high value conract. Just make it full on incentives and milestones. That way, any he doesn’t achieve go back into the budget the following year.
November 2nd, 2025 at 7:16 am
Pickgrin … I’m surprised that McCollum ranks #17 in that list. Doesn’t seem to me that he’s having that good a year. His pass coverage is quite respectable (59.6%) but he’s given up 4 TDs already (most on the team by a factor of 2).
I also find it strange that so many JBFers yelped about Jamel Dean not getting INTs (prior to this year), but none say anything about Zion. He’s had a total of 2 INTs in his 4 years with us; 2 INTs in 2568 snaps comes out to 1 INT every 1284 def snaps on average.
Jamel has had 11 INTs in his 7 years with us; 11 INTs in 4397 def snaps comes out to 1 INT every 400 def snaps on average.
And oh ya, Jamel’s contract got reworked to where he’s now making $4.3 mil this year. Zion just got a nice new contract where he’s now pulling in $16.0 mil per year. Wonder if Jason’s gonna rework his contract next year too.
November 2nd, 2025 at 7:35 am
What are the odds of Dean staying healthy 🤔 to the end of the seasons and playoffs. Who’s willing to pick the OVER/UNDER.
November 2nd, 2025 at 8:00 am
Who would have guessed back in August that Dean would emerge as perhaps the NFL’s best corner?
Apparently Jamel Dean did and bet on himself and what a bet it is turning out to be. Jamel will get his bag next season, but it won”t be in Tampa.
November 2nd, 2025 at 8:57 am
This secondary is beginning to remind me of the legendary 2002 one. That SB bunch was lethal. You never knew where/when a sack, fumble, pick, pick6 would occur. Of course, they had the DLine and LBs, but that secondary was a force to be reckoned with. Right, Ronde? In a season riddled with injuries and bad refs, this is a bright spot. Dean is delivering and I wish him the best. He has a SB ring, too. I’m looking forward to listening to what the secondary does in the final 9 games. Go Bucs!!
November 2nd, 2025 at 9:18 am
DR – yea – my eyeballs thought McCollum would be further down the list too – but who are we to argue with stats? LOL
My eyeballs wouldn’t have thought Dean would be rated #1 in the league either sooooo……
One big difference between these 2 players though is availability.
Dean misses multiple games every year. Jamel was NOT on the field in the 4th Quarter of our last 4 playoff games – 3 of which were losses….
McCollum has only missed 1 game since he got here – this year- the week after he had surgery on his hand – and then played the following week! Dude is durable!
Zyon had 2 Ints and 17 Passes defensed in 2024 – his first year as a starter- pretty good. I think he has been limited somewhat by the hand injury this year when it comes to Ints… we’ll see how it all plays out as the year progresses.
Odds are Dean will not be here next year and the starters will be McCollum, Morrison and Parrish. And I’m OK with that. Licht has done a good job drafting talented CBs – including Dean….
November 2nd, 2025 at 11:16 am
And this with only 10 players on the field. Everyone has to play their position and watch out for whoever Sir Sucksalot Dennis was supposed to cover. Imagine if there wasn’t a slug playing next to Lavonte.
November 2nd, 2025 at 11:44 am
Pickgrin … ‘Odds are Dean will not be here next year and the starters will be McCollum, Morrison and Parrish.’
I don’t think that Jamel will be here next year either, and that McCollum, Morrison & Parrish will be our corners. Admittedly though I keep looking at Morrison as ‘the next Jamel Dean’ in terms of availability. Parrish could end up being our next Ronde Barber, starting outside some but also playing some Nickel, depending on how well Morrison holds up.
The guy I’m missing right now is Izien. For a undrafted Secondary player, he’s had an impressive first 2 years. He averaged over 700 def snaps per year, sports a 69.6% Completion Rate Allowed, and has only surrendered 1 TD. He’s actually been used to blitz quite a bit (80 blitzes over 2 years), but has yet to get a sack. Nice also that he can play either Corner or Safety.
Wish I knew though what was going on with him physically, because he’s only gotten 6 def snaps thus far this season.
November 2nd, 2025 at 11:48 am
orlbucfan … ‘Of course, they had the DLine and LBs, but that secondary was a force to be reckoned with.’
One big difference also was that group had the 4-3 down pat. Pass coverage at the LB level wasn’t nearly as big an issue as it is now using our 3-4 defense. Having 3 LBs covering instead of 2 never seemed to leave as many open holes.