More defensive excellence is highlighted with the team’s illustrious cornerback history.
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The topic is now the cornerbacks, which have seen a lot of not-so-good (let’s throw Vernon Hargreaves and E.J. Biggers out there, for instance), but the good has been VERY good. Let’s break it down.
First team: Ronde Barber and Carlton Davis
Much like Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber’s name is synonymous with Buccaneers excellence.
Spending his entire 16-year career with the Bucs and setting the record for most consecutive regular-season starts by a defensive back in NFL history (215 games), Barber revolutionized the nickelback position, played elite outside corner, and even excelled as a free safety in his final season.
The man truly did it all, and he did so with exemplary character and leadership that made him a beloved member of the Tampa community.
The list of records and accolades he achieved is almost too long to list. Almost.
He holds the Bucs’ records for most career interceptions (47), most passes defensed (197), most non-offensive touchdowns (14, and his 8 pick-sixes are top 10 all time), most games played and started (241 and 232, respectively), most sacks by a defensive back (28, which is also second-most all time), and most interceptions in a single season (10).
Barber is the only member of the 45/25 club (45 interceptions and 25 sacks) in NFL history, and he was a five-time All-Pro (three first-team, two second-team), five-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. He received his gold jacket from the Hall of Fame in 2023 and got inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2019.
Truly one of the greatest of all time.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Now, Carlton Davis is not Ronde Barber. But that can be said of basically 98% of defensive backs in NFL history.
What Davis was, however, was a very good No. 1 corner who contributed a lot to the Buccaneers over six seasons. The trauma may’ve been blocked out of some fans’ minds, but it should be remembered that the Buccaneers, prior to Davis’s arrival, were horrendous on pass defense – like unwatchably bad. Between 2014-18, the Bucs finished bottom 5 in passing yards allowed and permitted the best completion percentage to opposing passers three times.
Jason Licht began pouring resources into the secondary like crazy, and 2018 yielded M.J. Stewart, Jordan Whitehead, and Davis. While it took a couple years to gel, with Davis often seeing a huge share of targets thrown his way, he eventually settled in as one of the NFL’s best zone defenders and consistently rose to the challenge of covering opposing No. 1s.
As long as their name wasn’t Tyreek Hill, Davis consistently put up excellent performances against the likes of Michael Thomas, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams, and Ja’Marr Chase. Aggressive and persistent, Davis logged some of the best passes defensed totals in football (73 total during his Bucs tenure).
While penalties (40 total) and injuries (never played a full season) kept him from being truly elite, Davis’s contributions to the defense nevertheless played a huge role in the team returning to relevancy.
Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Second team: Brian Kelly and Aqib Talib
One of the tougher choices on this list, Davis gets the nod over Kelly by the slimmest of margins. I went with Davis simply because he served more as a traditional No. 1, but that should not at all discount how incredible Kelly’s Bucs career was.
Kelly served as third corner behind Barber and Donnie Abraham for the first three seasons of his career before claiming a starting role and eventually leading the Bucs (and the NFL) with 8 interceptions in the team’s 2002 Super Bowl year. Kelly consistently displayed a nose for the football, logging 22 career interceptions and 99 passes defensed over 10 years with Tampa Bay.
Injuries consistently plagued him (he started 16 games only three times, the same number of times he got placed on injured reserve), and he never truly took that next step to being the team’s top pass defender, but he was consistently reliable as Barber’s running mate.
Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Drafted in 2008 to replace Kelly, Aqib Talib had all the makings of Tampa’s next big star at corner. Unfortunately, he suffered from the chronic condition of being an idiot.
Talib immediately stirred controversy by starting a fist fight at the Rookie Symposium mere weeks after being drafted. He missed team functions and meetings, got suspended multiple times, and drew several on-field penalties for his demeanor as well.
However, it cannot be denied that Talib knew how to play. He collected 15 interceptions in just his first three seasons (finishing with 18 total in five seasons and three pick-6s), and he finished his Bucs tenure with 54 passes defensed.
Eventually though, his antics became too much for the team and he got traded to the Patriots in 2012 for a draft pick that eventually became Will Gholston. While not a bad return, it’s hard to argue it was an equitable value as Talib went on to five straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He still never fully shaped up and has dealt with legal troubles to this day, but he could’ve been so much for the Bucs.
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Honorable mention: Jamel Dean and Donnie Abraham
We’ve all had some big feelings about Jamel Dean recently, and that’s okay. It’s frustrating when a player struggles with staying on the field and then not being consistent while on it.
However, it’s important to remember the Bucs have kept him around for seven years now for a reason: he’s pretty good when everything is clicking.
Drafted as a third-rounder in 2019, Dean already came into the league with injury concerns after blowing up his knee, but the Bucs looked past that with the hope he could rebound – and they were mostly right. Dean played just 27 games with 12 starts in 2019-20, dealing with injury and sharing time with Sean Murphy-Bunting. However, he was productive when he did play with 3 interceptions (1 for a touchdown) and 24 pass defensed. He played very well during the Super Bowl run, in particular, pairing with Davis to play very strong pass defense.
Dean stayed on the field more consistently, starting 51 games over the next four years, logging 28 more passes defensed and 5 more interceptions. That said, he still missed 17 games in that time frame and left several other games early due to nagging injuries. We’ll see if he can turn his fortunes – and perceptions – around in Year 7, but his leash will be short with youngsters Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish poised to push for playing time.
Photo credit should read PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images
Finally, Donnie Abraham would’ve likely cracked higher if he played more than just two years with Tampa in the 2000s. Abraham spent 6 years in total with the Bucs, setting a high standard from the get-go with 5 interceptions in his rookie year in 1996.
From there, he and Ronde Barber were nigh-impregnable in the secondary. In just three seasons between 1999-2001, Abraham recorded 20 interceptions and 64(!!) passes defensed and earned a Pro Bowl nod.
Unfortunately, the Bucs had other priorities in free agency in 2002 and had to let Abraham go, so he did not get to experience the sweet taste of championship victory. However, he played a big role in the team’s late 90s revival into a perennial contender.
Abraham finished his Tampa career second all-time in interceptions (31) behind Barber.
Memories, anyone? Anyone at all? Safeties are next up.