Buccaneers May Have Found Gem in Rookie Defensive Player

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht appear to have found another unheralded gem in rookie Christian Izien.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been arguably one of the best franchises in recent years when it comes to finding NFL Draft gems in the middle and late rounds every year. 

This year, the Buccaneers not only made a splash again, but they did it in the undrafted free agent pool by bringing in defensive back Christian Izien who became a starter on the defense at the beginning of the regular season.

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“He’s part corner, part safety, part inside [linebacker], part outside [linebacker], so he’s got to be a very heady football player,” Bowles said of his rookie. “It takes a different kind of guy to play that position, and you can be a great corner and never go inside or vice versa, so you have to have a different mentality to understand the front, the middle, and the backend.”

In two games Izien has played 75 snaps for the Bucs this season and is one of just 12 rookie defenders to do so. 

Among them, Izien grades as the fourth-best rookie defender according to Pro Football Focus and is top 10 in every category while coming in second in coverage grade (76.2) behind only New England Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez. 

To Bowles’ point, Izien has lined up mainly in the slot but also has reps counted by PFF in the box, out wide, and even on the defensive line. 

“As soon as he stepped foot on campus, he’s been serious,” pass game coordinator and linebackers coach Larry Foote said about Izien. “You can tell he’s a pro…He’s aggressive, he’s a tough kid and I’m surprised he was there as a free agent.”

That surprise has turned into quite the benefit for Tampa Bay who has benefitted from two interceptions by the rookie, nabbing one in each game.

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A third on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles would go a long way toward helping the Buccaneers upset the defending NFC Champions.

Regardless, as Izien continues to grow, it’s clear the Bucs have themselves another diamond found in the rough.

“He’s adapted to it very well,” Bowles also said about Izien. “Usually it takes new guys a long time to adjust to that position. We put a lot on his plate, and he does a great job with it.”

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