Buccaneers $6M ‘Ball Hawk’ Rookie Could Crack Starting Lineup

There’s something about Jacob Parrish showing up at your training camp for the first time that makes an instant impression.

Parrish, a third round pick (No. 84 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft, is doing that right now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he may already be playing his way into a starting role, and possibly in the lot cornerback spot.

“Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles already said Christian Izien will be on the 53-man roster,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on August 4. “But in what capacity? The former undrafted free agent grabbed a starting role in 2023 before serving as a backup to Tykee Smith last season but wound up stepping in at safety and even at outside corner. But rookie Jacob Parrish has had multiple interceptions since he got to Tampa, and Bowles wants ball hawks.”

It’s a case of history repeating itself for Parrish.

Three years ago, in August 2022, he was an unheralded, 2-star recruit out of Olathe North (Kansas) High School who showed up at Kansas State’s training camp with few expectations.

“Even though he arrived on campus with little fanfare at a position with two returning starters, (Parrish) has impressed K-State football coach Chris Klieman so much during preseason camp that he was more or less penciled into a backup spot on the depth chart Tuesday,” The Wichita Eagle’s Kellis Robinett wrote on August 24, 2022. “He has more than held is own against K-State’s best receivers.”

Are we seeing the pattern here yet?

Parrish Left Kansas State After 3 Seasons

Parrish went from being a 2-star recruit to leaving Kansas State for the NFL draft after just 3 seasons in which he won a Big 12 championship as a true freshman in 2022 as he played in all 14 games as a reserve cornerback and special teams standout then was a 2-time All-Big 12 pick in 2023 and 2024.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler praised the Buccaneers for taking Parrish, who had 91 tackles, 5 interceptions and 21 pass deflections over his last 2 college seasons.

At the NFL scouting combine, Parrish was an inch taller than scouts thought, at 5-foot-10, and ran the fourth-fastest time among cornerbacks with a blazing, 4.35-second 40-yard dash.

“Third-round corner Jacob Parrish can be considered a winning pick for Tampa,” Fowler wrote on May 7. “I talked to a few teams predraft that listed him as a sleeper for the end of the first or early second, though some obviously thought that was too rich … Head coach Todd Bowles wanted better depth (at cornerback) coming out of last year.”

Incredible Value as Starter for Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers are already paying big money for a pair of starters in the secondary — and ones that haven’t performed very well lately.

Tampa Bay signed NFL All-Pro free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to a 4-year, $84.1 million contract extension before the 2024 season and watched him miss a career high 7 games due to injury.

Since signing cornerback Jamel Dean to a 4-year, $52 million contract extension in March 2023, Dean has just 1 interception after racking up 7 interceptions in his first 4 seasons.

If Parrish can truly show he’s up to the task of being a starter at nickelback then work his way up to being a starter at outside cornerback, it could be incredible value for the Buccaneers on his 4-year, $6.2 million rookie contract.