Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 Positional Outlook: Cornerbacks

Previewing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback situation entering training camp ahead of the 2021 NFL season.

Over the next month until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field for training camp, AllBucs plans to break down the team's roster, position by position, in order to prepare onlookers for what to watch for during the 2021 season.

This series isn't meant to turn into a projection of the depth chart, although starters at some positions will appear obvious. Instead, this exercise should provide insight as to which players should make meaningful contributions to a run at another Super Bowl and what the Bucs' depth looks like.

Having already dissected the defensive line, inside linebacker, and edge rushing positions, today we'll break down the outlook at cornerback for the Buccaneers.

Buccaneers current cornerbacks

• Carlton Davis
• Sean Murphy-Bunting
• Jamel Dean
• Ross Cockrell
• Herb Miller
• Chris Wilcox (rookie, 2021 7th Round Draft Pick)
• Cameron Kinley (rookie, signed as an undrafted free agent)
• Dee Daleny
• Nate Brooks
• Antonio Hamilton

Starters: Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting

Davis and Murphy-Bunting started the majority of games at the two cornerback spots for the Bucs last season. Davis missed two games at the end of the season with a groin injury, but for the most part, these two are the top corners in Tampa Bay.

Davis led the team with four interceptions and 18 passes defensed in the regular season and continued to have success in the playoffs recording 21 tackles and three pass break-ups en route to a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Last year was his most productive as a pro and it came at a good time. 

This upcoming season will be his last of the four-year contract he signed with the Bucs after the organization selected the Auburn product in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

As for Murphy-Bunting, the second-year player had quite the run in the postseason recording an interception in three straight games leading up to the Super Bowl. His third interception in the playoffs couldn't have come at a better time as he picked off Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers setting up the Bucs and Tom Brady with great field position. Brady took advantage of the turnover and hit Scotty Miller for a 39-yard touchdown giving the Bucs a 21-10 lead at halftime of the NFC Championship.

In total, Murphy-Bunting played in all 20 games, including 17 starts for the Bucs. He recorded 66 tackles, one interception, and three passes defensed during the regular season.

Depth

In the middle of the season, Jamel Dean made four straight starts and finished the season starting six of the final nine games. He then started all four playoff games and recorded a critical pick-six against the Packers that was Tampa Bay's only defensive touchdown of the season. He added 16 tackles and three pass breakups in the postseason. During the regular season, Dean recorded 59 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups over the course of 14 games.

When Dean and Davis weren't available, Ross Cockrell was the next man up in 2020. Cockrell signed a new two-year contract with the Bucs in April after totaling 11 tackles, one quarterback hit, and one pass breakup in the regular season. In the playoffs, Cockrell added one tackle and one pass breakup for Tampa Bay.

The next best cornerback on the roster who is returning to the Bucs' depth is Herb Miller, who spent most of the season on the practice squad. Like Cockrell, Miller signed a new two-year deal in February to stay in Tampa Bay. The FAU product was elevated on game day five times and appeared in four games in which he recorded three tackles and an interception.

The Bucs added a ton of depth at cornerback through the draft and free agency. Most of these additions will appear mostly on special teams with the opportunity to eventually earn snaps on defense. In the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay took BYU cornerback Chris Wilcox. Over the course of his college career, Wilcox played in 31 games for Cougars recording 84 tackles and eight pass breakups.

Tampa Bay signed Cameron Kinley out of the Naval Academy and he just received good news from the Pentagon on Tuesday to get a chance to play for the Bucs after originally being denied a wavier. Kinley, 6-foot-2, 204 pounds, appeared in 27 games during his Navy career, compiling 88 tackles, one sack, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception, 12 pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

In May, the Bucs signed three veteran cornerbacks who have a variety of NFL experience: Nate Brooks, Dee Delaney, and Antonio Hamilton. Brooks, an undrafted free agent in 2019, has spent the past two years in Miami and Baltimore seeing action in four regular-season games totaling 11 tackles.

Hamilton is the most experienced out of the three as he has played in 57 games with three different teams. After spending time in Oakland and New York, he most recently played in every game for the Chiefs mostly on special teams. As for Delaney, he didn't play once during the 2020 season but has spent time in Jacksonville and Washington. He's appeared in three total games since entering the league in 2018.

Final Thoughts

The Bucs are in a solid spot at cornerback especially after the postseason breakout from Murphy-Bunting. It will be interesting to watch how Davis plays this season as he enters the final season of his rookie contract.

At times last season, this unit struggled to allow 246.6 passing yards per game, which ranked near the bottom half of the league. However, the group turned it around in the postseason helping force turnovers against elite quarterbacks like Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Pat Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

One would hope that a postseason performance like the one the Bucs had in 2020 would spill into the regular season in 2021. On top of that, it will be intriguing to see who steps up off the bench for Tampa Bay at cornerback.