The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary came into the 2024 season as one of the strongest position units on the team, but injuries held them back and they finished with the No. 29 passing defense in the NFL, allowing 243.9 yards through the air per game.

Luckily, most of the key pieces from the 2024 squad are set to return in 2025 and the Bucs pass defense should thrive if the starters can stay healthy.

Antoine Winfield Jr. and Zyon McCollum anchor that group, while rookie Tykee Smith faced his fair share of adversity, but put together one of the best seasons for any first-year player at his position according to PFF.

“General manager Jason Licht’s 2024 draft class already has a proven star in Bucky Irving, and Smith is another candidate to flourish. In his first NFL regular season, Smith collected an 88.1 PFF run-defense grade, the seventh-best mark among cornerbacks with 100 or more run-defense snaps. His 21 stops tied for the 13th most among rookies.”

One of the biggest decisions for Licht and the Tampa Bay brass this offseason will be deciding how to proceed with Jamel Dean, who hasn’t lived up to expectations since signing a 4-year, $52 million deal with the team.

Injuries have plagued Dean’s time with the Bucs, and he could easily be a cap casualty this offseason.

Over the past two seasons, Dean has missed nine games and substantial portions of others, including critical postseason matchups.Todd Bowles has emphasized that reliability is a cornerstone when it comes to building a strong defensive unit and Dean has struggled in that department to say the least.

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do move on from Dean — or even if they keep him — it’s safe to say they will look to add depth at cornerback this offseason.

TWSN believes the Bucs will look to bring back a familiar face who just completed another solid season as a starting CB for the Detroit Lions.

They predict Tampa will sign Carlton Davis III who the Bucs traded to the Lions last year:

After having a solid season with the Lions, Davis is once again a free agent and why not have a reunion in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers had a good season but ultimately fell short against the Commanders in the Wild Card. Davis would have a smooth transition back to Tampa as he knows the defensive scheme like muscle memory as Todd Bowles is still around as the head coach so there could be mutual interest in a return for Carlton Davis.

Although his season did come short after injuring his jaw in week 15 he had a good year having a 73.4 coverage grade on PFF and a 84.4 grade in throws in less than 3 yards. Carlton would add veteran leadership and be one of the defensive captains and with the Buccaneers having just over 20 million in cap space this reunion could work financially