Mandatory minicamp is set to kick off Tuesday, and it’s yet another opportunity for Tampa Bay’s rookies to be caught up to speed as best they can before the start of the regular season.
Rookie minicamp and OTAs were a good first look at the team’s draft class and undrafted free agents, and with two offseason programs under their belt, it’s time to continue and ramp up the preparation. Some rookies have already made a name for themselves so far — here are three rookies that have been making some noise as mandatory minicamp kicks off:
CB Benjamin Morrison
Benjamin Morrison didn’t play most of his final college season after getting surgery on his hip, and many wondered how ready he would be for the NFL season. Those concerns have gone away — he participated in individual drills and rookie minicamp and then graduated to team drills at OTAs.
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Morrison made a huge play on Bucs rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka on Day 4 of OTAs and looks fluid in full participation, and mandatory minicamp will be another opportunity for him to get his work in at the NFL level.
DB Jacob Parrish
The Buccaneers drafted defensive back Tykee Smith to play nickel corner for them last year, and he did a good job — but now Smith is moving to safety, and the Bucs need a new nickel. Enter Jacob Parrish.
Parrish is technically in competition with a number of players for the nickel spot, but he’ll likely start there in Week 1 and has already turned some heads. He had two interceptions at rookie minicamp, one of which was a pick six, and his blinding speed and aggressive playstyle could get more refined as he gets some more training under his belt.
WR Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka was Tampa Bay’s first-round draft pick despite a need on defense. He played similar to Chris Godwin in college and is already incredibly polished heading into the pros, and he’s made some plays to showcase that so far.
Egbuka’s highlight play came on Day 1 of OTAs, where he bested Jamel Dean on a nice out route to pick up a big gain. His high-point skills were on display during that contested catch against Morrison, too, and with Godwin possibly a non-participant at minicamp, he’ll have plenty of reps with the starters to show his stuff.
