What Benjamin Morrison Does for the Buccaneers

The Bucs add long-awaited reinforcements to their secondary.

After arguably the shock of Round 1 landed them WR Emeka Egbuka, the Buccaneers went back to the presumed battle plan in Round 2 with a cornerback Benjamin Morrison at 53rd overall.

Morrison is arguably the most polished corner in the class who was a bonafide first-rounder before season-ending hip surgery in 2024. If the Bucs doctors are signing off on his health, expect Morrison to compete for a starting role immediately in a thin secondary.

Benjamin Morrison Career Stats

A 4-star recruit, Morrison burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Fighting Irish, starting 9 games in 2022 and immediately leading the team in interceptions with 6 and notching 10 passes defensed — he earned freshman All-American honors for his efforts.

He continued to improve as a sophomore and still forced turnovers despite fewer looks his way, totaling 3 interceptions and 13 passes defensed.

Unfortunately, his junior campaign saw only 6 games before his hip issues forced season-ending surgery. The team captain totaled 20 tackles and 4 PBUs beforehand.

Athletic Testing

Morrison is still working through the final stages of his hip surgery recovery, so he could not participate in any testing. However, he’s nearly cleared for resuming activity — he held a private showcase for teams just prior to the draft — and should be fine for off-season work.

Based on the tape, Morrison is a plus athlete. He’s a smooth mover with good long speed to make up ground quickly, and he’s got enough size to stay on the outside at the pro level (6-foot, 193 pounds with 30 3/8” arms). Surprisingly, he does break Tampa’s historic thresholds for preferring 31”+ arms on their outside guys.

That should speak to how much they trust the tape and the player makeup.

What Type of Player is Benjamin Morrison?

Morrison is a highly instinctual, intelligent defensive back who maximizes his good, but non-elite, physical talents. Sound familiar? It’s because the Bucs just took the receiver version of him on Thursday.

There’s nothing wrong with that, as Morrison provides the polish to start at outside corner sooner rather than later. If he can stay healthy with his bilateral hip issues presumably corrected, the Bucs should have a future long-term starter.

Morrison’s understanding of leverage, exceptional tracking and ball skils, and general football IQ are impressive for his age. It’s no shock he’s the son of former NFL defensive back Darryl Morrison, who actually played with Todd Bowles back in the 90s.

Sound technique and crisp transitions mean he rarely gets caught on his heels, and active eyes and quick twitch let him key on plays in zone with the desired efficacy. His quickness also make him an effective blitzer, which Bowles will appreciate.

Because of his below-average length and slighter frame, Morrison is inconsistent in press and run support. The latter is a bigger issue, and progress on tackling has been slow. He’ll need to learn quick if he hopes to be consistently trusted in that area.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this pick will be judged by Morrison’s long-term health. Two surgeries on his hips and one on his shoulder are concerning, and it’s honestly surprising how comfortable Tampa is with it considering Jamel Dean’s extensive injury history — the whole reason we’re discussing outside corner in the first place.

The talent and the character is A+ for Morrison, but the team doctors better hope they made the right call on signing off on his medical history.

What say you, Bucs Nation? How would you grade this pick? Comment and vote below.