Third-round pick Jacob Parrish continues to turn heads. After an impressive rookie minicamp and training camp debut with stellar ball production, Parrish left his mark again in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. Parrish, who has the position versatility to play both the outside corner and nickel roles, stood out in coverage.
On Saturday night, Parrish recorded a pass breakup on his first target, swatting down a pass intended for Van Jefferson over the middle of the field. On the second, Elic Ayomanor ran a corner route and as he broke to the boundary, Parrish diagnosed and came crashing downhill, closing the distance. He got a hand up as the ball arrived and knocked it to the ground on second down.
"It boosted my confidence," said Parrish. "It was really a quick game, seeing the quarterback and making a play on the ball…I will continue to work on my mistakes during the game and that is part of the game, going back through the tape and get ready for next week."
Parrish became the first Buccaneer defender to have multiple pass breakups in their first preseason game since Carlton Davis III and Jordan Whitehead in 2018. The Kansas State product was smooth in coverage and showcased his quickness in transitions and compete prowess. Parrish displayed his change-of-direction skills, stickiness in man, physicality and knack for making plays on the ball. His thrilling debut garnered praise from Todd Bowles.
"I thought he did a good job, especially out at the corner spot," described Bowles. "In the nickel spot, we had help going inside that he got leveraged out once or twice, but I thought he did a very good job from that standpoint, and the preseason's going to be great for him. I look forward to him having a heck of a season this year."
As the Buccaneers head to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers for joint practices and Preseason Week Two, Parrish will be one to watch.
