While Floridians are used to the 90-degree heat and mostly sunny days, many of the Bucs’ rookies experienced it for the first time during Friday afternoon’s rookie mini-camp practice. While head coach Todd Bowles joked afterward that there were some close “casualties,” players came out pretty unscathed heat-wise.
Rookie mini-camp offers the first look at the team’s draft picks as well as those trying out to earn a roster spot. Scott Reynolds, Matt Matera, and Adam Slivon were out there to observe and share our notes and observations from the first day. Pewter Report will also be out there tomorrow for Saturday’s practice.
Benjamin Morrison Was Participating In Individual Drills
One of the biggest surprises during Bucs rookie mini-camp was seeing cornerback Benjamin Morrison outside practicing. Morrison is recovering from a hip surgery and many, including Pewter Report, thought he might not participate just yet. Instead, the team’s second-round pick had his helmet on and took part in individual drills with the other cornerbacks on Friday afternoon.
However, when it came to team drills, Morrison was taken over to another field where Bobby Slater, the team’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, worked out with him one-on-one. Morrison did a series of straight-line sprints running at full speed.
Speaking to the media before practice, he gave a positive update on his recovery and what his plan is going through mini-camp and OTAs which will be held later this month.
“It’s been going good,” Morrison said. “Just trusting what the trainers and the plan for myself going through this rookie mini-camp and then going to OTAs. I’m getting well, getting healthy, and it feels good being back out there.”
Right now, the young cornerback is just trying to gauge his progress. It was encouraging to see him out there, especially as he prepares to be in an entertaining training camp battle with veteran cornerback Jamel Dean to earn a starting spot sooner rather than later.
“Just figuring out where I’m at,” Morrison added about what he hopes to get out of this week. “New system, new people. Although you go through all the [NFL] Combine medical processes, it’s different when they have their hands on you and things like that. Just having them figure it out, we’re still going through it, so we’ll see as the week goes on.”
Jacob Parrish Already Looks Like A Ballhawking DB
The Bucs double-dipped selecting defensive backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, going back-to-back with Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. While it was a positive sign just seeing Morrison out there, it was just as noteworthy seeing Parrish out there making plays.
Known for being fast and physical at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, he was already getting his hands on the football. Parrish recorded a pass breakup on a Connor Bazelak pass early in the practice session, but he saved his biggest play toward the end. Covering talented wide receiver and first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, Parrish leaped in the air as Egbuka fell to the ground to record an interception.
Bucs CB Jacob Parrish – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
That was the highlight play of the day, with Todd Bowles commenting on his performance afterward.
“Got a good pick, good to see him do some things,” Bowles said. “Again, it’s t-shirt and shorts, but it’s good to see him make a first impression.”
Bowles also added that Parrish was the fastest player out there on Friday, which is little surprise as he lit up stopwatches with a 4.35 40-yard time at the 2025 NFL Combine.
Although he is currently projected to be in the fight to become the team’s starting nickelback, Tampa Bay’s defensive playcaller was quick to point out that he is a cornerback first.
“No, he can’t play outside in a pinch, he can play outside,” Bowles said, downplaying the notion Parrish will be just a slot cornerback. “He can play outside corner; we got him learning nickel. I’m very comfortable with him outside. He can start corner in this league, probably for anybody, and he can play inside as well.
“That’s the beauty of him, he’s not just a nickel. I think he’s an outside corner first and then a nickel second. The fact that he plays inside is just a bonus for us. We have a few guys that play inside so it helps us from a matchup standpoint and from a gameplanning standpoint — which one could play nickel and which time. Keeps a lot of people guessing.”
That will be something to keep an eye on as the offseason continues, but it is safe to say Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish have each impressed in different ways early on.
All Eyes On Big UDFAs DT Desmond Watson And S Shilo Sanders
As much hype as the Bucs’ draft picks get, there were several undrafted free agents out there who have garnered quite a bit of publicity since signing with the team.
Defensive tackle Desmond Watson is larger than life and – although he is in the process of losing weight and focusing on his conditioning – he stands out from the crowd.
Watson did not participate much, but the team is still putting together a plan to get him into the best shape as possible with the hope being that he can make the cut, whether on the practice squad or the 53-man roster. If so, they will have someone who can make things interesting when offenses have short-yard situations or attempt to run the Tush Push.
Stay tuned for more on the former Florida Gator, as he will be holding a press conference tomorrow that Pewter Report will be attending.
Regarding former Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, he traded in the No. 21 (which Benjamin Morrison is wearing) his dad made famous for No. 28. General manager Jason Licht made it clear recently that there are “no guarantees” for Sanders or undrafted free agent in making the team, but all eyes will be on him for the pedigree he comes with.
Bucs S Shilo Sanders – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
He recorded 70 total tackles, four forced fumbles, and an 80-yard pick six in 2023, following that up by recording 67 total tackles along with a forced fumble and sack in 2024.
Getting a first look at him on Friday, he was out there in the mix during ball drills and did not miss a beat.
Todd Bowles already thinks Sanders is a vocal player who has a grasp of the defense.
“Like the rest of the safeties, I mean, he’s very intelligent,” Bowles said. “He’s very loud, you can hear him today making calls and everything. He’s got a good grasp of things day one, there were about three or four of them that did, he was one of them. Got to make plays in pads, that’s what it comes down to. Knowing what to do and then doing it consistently and constantly getting better every day.”
Other Notes And Observations From Day 1 Of Rookie Mini-Camp
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles called outside linebacker David Walker, the team’s fourth-round pick, the best player he saw in Friday’s practice. Walker was extremely quick, fast and twitchy and made a great first impression. Pewter Report heard from multiple sources that Walker had a fantastic first day in Tampa Bay.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka did not make a splash play but expect him to be used in a variety of ways this season. Egbuka moved around in motion a lot pre-snap during practice. Expect offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard to be creative getting him touches.
Wide receiver Tez Johnson is already staking his claim to be the team’s punt returner as he was working on the unit during Friday’s practice. Johnson, the Bucs’ seventh-round pick, held another entertaining press conference where he asserted that he is faster than former Oregon teammate and running back Bucky Irving.
New Bucs offensive tackle Ben Chukwuma took all of his snaps at left tackle on Friday. That’s where he played as a two-year starter at Georgia State. Chukwuma worked a bunch with offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, who will be molding the skills of the newcomer to football. Chukwuma was born in Nigeria and only played offensive line in college after trying out.
Offensive linemen Jake Majors and Ben Scott, who played at Texas and Nebraska, respectively, took turns playing center and left guard. Majors was a four-year starter at center for the Longhorns, while Scott played multiple positions in college, in addition to center for the Cornhuskers. Versatility matters along the offensive line, and both of them will be fighting for one of the last spots on the offensive line depth chart.
There were several familiar faces at Friday’s practice as members of last year’s Bucs practice squad were eligible to take part in the rookie mini-camp and several did. Tight end Tanner Taula, offensive tackles Lorenz Metz and Luke Haggard, safety Rashad Wisdom, and running back D.J. Williams practiced with the rookies.
It came as no surprise that rookie inside linebacker John Bullock was calling the signals in the defensive huddle. Outside of Shilo Sanders, Todd Bowles mentioned that Bullock was another player who was one of the more vocal guys out there. Bowles wants to see more out of him as he gets comfortable in the defense and believes he can be a good special teams player.
The one player who left with an injury during Friday’s practice was wide receiver Dino Tomlin, who is Steelers head coach (and former Bucs defensive backs coach) Mike Tomlin’s son. There was no update on him after practice.
– Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera contributed to this report.
