The Buccaneers addressed a major need with the No. 53 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting cornerback Benjamin Morrison out of Notre Dame.
Morrison’s emotional reaction to receiving the draft call from Tampa Bay was one of the draft’s most wholesome moments so far.
Buccaneers Land a Draft Day Steal in Benjamin Morrison
Morrison was widely considered a first-round talent, but his draft stock slipped due to a concerning medical history.
He is coming off a hip injury that caused him to miss the end of his college career, playing just six games in his final season. At just 21 years old, Morrison has already had two hip surgeries and a shoulder surgery.
When Morrison is on the field, however, he is a special player. He gained a reputation as a shutdown cornerback, logging nine total interceptions across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“With his effervescent quickness, competitive mentality, and short-area twitch, he can function as a gnat in press, and that same disruptive imprint shows up at the catch point. At his best in 2022 and 2023, Morrison looked like a first-round talent. With any luck, he can get back to that level,” wrote PFSN’s Ian Cummings in his scouting report.
The Buccaneers already have some injury concerns in the cornerback room. The team moved on from Carlton Davis III last offseason due to his cap hit and injury struggles, and the front office has seemingly grown frustrated with Jamel Dean’s lack of availability, as evidenced by the team adding two defensive backs on day two.
Adding another cornerback with injury concerns with the Bucs’ recent history at the position will cause pause for some, but Morrison was well worth the risk.
Cummings had Morrison rated as the No. 7 cornerback in his pre-draft rankings. The Bucs are gambling that Morrison will get healthy and return to his pre-injury form that had him being projected as a sure-fire first-rounder.
Morrison’s Emotional Reaction After Receiving Bucs’ Draft Call
After receiving the phone call from Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles informing him he was being drafted to Tampa Bay, Morrison couldn’t help but break down in tears of joy and gratitude.
“Calm down, relax. Tell your dad I said hi.”#Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles talks to an emotional Benjamin Morrison, son of his former teammate Darryl, in one of the better Draft calls you’ll see. pic.twitter.com/EqeotndJKk
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo)
“Thank you for believing in me,” Morrison told the Bucs’ leadership during his draft day phone call. “I’m not gonna let you down.”
Bowles, who played with Morrison’s father Darryl on the Washington Redskins in 1993, had the perfect response: “Calm down, relax. Tell your dad I said hi.”
Addressing the cornerback room was one of the biggest priorities for the Buccaneers this offseason. Morrison, along with third-round pick Jacob Parrish, will lead a much-needed revamping of the secondary in Tampa Bay.
Morrison delivered one of the draft’s most heartfelt moments — now, he’s ready to get to work and prove the Buccaneers made the right call.
