In the NFL, Cover 4 refers to a defensive coverage that aims to cover four deep zones on the field. Following that lead, I’m going to provide you with the same coverage of the Bucs – your favorite football team. Each Wednesday morning I’ll cover four areas as they apply to Tampa Bay: 1. a short film breakdown, 2. a finance angle, 3. a look forward at what’s to come, and 4. a bit of fun.

Film: Finding A Vet For The Corner Room

There is still an unresolved question facing the Bucs defense as the team heads into training camp. Their top four corners (Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish and Keionte Scott) have a combined six professional seasons between them. That leaves a logical spot on the depth chart for a potential veteran to round out the two deep in case of injury or regression to any of the top guys.

We have debated the topic here at Pewter Report in the past. Much of that focus has been on the free agent market, which is littered with over-30 players. But I personally, I have focused on something general manager Jason Licht has alluded to on multiple occasions. Repeatedly, Licht has mentioned the team would explore all avenues in that area, including players currently on other NFL rosters who may find themselves the victim of a roster crunch.

Previously, I floated Kansas City’s Kristian Fulton as a possible fit. This week I wanted to explore a former first-round pick who may not make it out of camp.

Deonte Banks Could Be A Fit For The Bucs

Deonte Banks was the 24th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Physically, he is what one would call prototypical at 6-foot and 197 pounds. And at over the 90th percentile in all of the explosive, agility and speed drills, he has the athleticism to be successful. It’s weird to say, but in some respects, he is a “poor man’s Zyon McCollum” from an athletic perspective.

After a promising rookie campaign, Banks steadily fell out of favor with the previous Giants coaching regime as his snap count fell from 844 in 2023 to nearly half of that at 459 in 2025. After the Giants declined his fifth-year option this past offseason, he now enters the final year of his rookie contract firmly on the roster bubble under a new coaching staff.

Giants CB Deonte Banks and Broncos WR Courtland Sutton – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect/Isaiah J. Downing

I watched four of Banks’ 2025 games plus all of his targeted throws to see if there was something there worthy of a reclamation project who could act as somewhat of a veteran presence as a depth piece should he get jettisoned from New York. There’s something there with him.

Strengths

Banks was billed as a press-man corner coming out of Maryland three years ago. And that hasn’t changed. His best reps are when he’s jamming off the line and disrupting route development and timing. He stays connected on vertical routes like go’s and fades and he has the size and speed to stay on top of, or in the hip of, some of the most physically gifted receivers in the game right now like Rome Odunze, Christian Watson, A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb.

His strength and physicality help him beyond just perimeter jams. He was used effectively against the apex receiver in trips bunch sets, often breaking up the route distribution of the bunch and slowing the full development of the concept. Those traits also helped when he lined up against tight ends like Colston Loveland. Banks’ ability to stay in phase forces tight window throws at a rate near the top of the NFL according to Next Gen Stats.

Banks also brings special teams value as a kick returner. He had a 95-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown last year against the Raiders and averaged 32.7 yards per return.

Giants CB Deonte Banks – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect/Kirby Lee

Weaknesses

Despite some of those positive qualities there are real reasons Banks may not beat the roster crunch in New York. Much like Benjamin Morrison, Banks struggles to handle inside stems when he’s in man coverage. He struggles particularly against digs and slants, falling out of phase. This can lead to easy catches early on early downs (slants) and chunk gains (digs).

In zone coverage Banks looks more unsure and tepid than when he’s asked to man up an opponent. When he’s asked to cover a deep third, he gives too much cushion and struggles to click and close when a receiver stems. This leads to easy wins for the offense on curls, comebacks and digs. And when he is asked to play a flat zone, his movements are frenetic as he looks around unsure of who to pick up.

And for all the reps he forces a tight window throw there are scant few plays on the ball. Banks struggles to get his head around in man coverage, and in zone he has trouble playing his assignment while keeping eyes in the backfield. This has led to him allowing catch rates well above expected (+20.7% in 2025, +9.0% in 2024).

What Makes Banks Appealing

Keep in mind this is a fourth corner/depth signing targeting someone with real NFL experience. Since entering the league Banks has the 50th most snaps amongst all cornerbacks. That experience is helpful. The ceiling that comes with it due to his speed, physical profile, ability to operate in man coverage and take on athletic tight ends is even more helpful. Banks needs better coaching to clean up the worst aspects of his game. But in Rashad Johnson I trust.

Grabbing a former first-rounder who I was very high on coming out of college – he was the second cornerback and ninth overall on my personal big board – who still has some of the best physical attributes at the position and plenty of real game reps is an enticing proposition in my opinion.

Finance: The Potential Chris Godwin Jr. Outcome No One Is Talking About

Jason Licht took a risk when he re-signed Chris Godwin Jr. to a three-year, $66 million contract in 2025. One year into that deal and it doesn’t look like a great decision. He logged 33 catches for 360 yards and two touchdowns last year while averaging just 1.38 yards per route run. That’s well below the production expected of a $22 million receiver.

Licht has been steadfast in asserting that he was looking beyond 2025 when he made the deal and that Godwin’s slow return was somewhat expected. That makes 2026 a critical year for the resilient receiver and for the general manager who has drafted him and signed him to four extensions (including the franchise tag tender the Bucs placed on Godwin in 2021).

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Godwin’s guaranteed money runs out after 2026, meaning the Bucs can cut him next year and save $22 million in cash and $13.7 million in salary cap. Another low-production season and that could very well be on the table. But while most analysts looking at this situation are considering it a binary decision (cut or keep) there is a third option that could become the eventual course of action for the team and Godwin.

Following the precedent the team set with Jamel Dean last year, the Bucs could offer to keep Godwin in town at a reduced-price tag. If his 2026 play doesn’t warrant his $22 million salary in 2027, Licht and Co. could approach him with a pay cut to stay in town and end his career where he started it. If the offer is fair and matches what he could get elsewhere, his affinity for the Bay area and desire to finish playing where he started could be enough to keep him in town while helping the team free up both cash and cap to invest in other areas of the roster.

While the Dean precedent isn’t a clean parallel (Dean accepted the pay cut in exchange for an opportunity to get to free agency a year early) it’s a real possibility and one that shouldn’t be ignored. Godwin has already shown a willingness to forego extra money to stay with the Bucs as by his own account Patriots were willing to give him up to $30 million per year to defect to New England last year.

And again, in this scenario Tampa Bay is willing to pay the market rate he would get elsewhere, just a number beneath the $22 million he is set to make next year under his current deal.

Forecast: Bucs Make Big Investment In Tight End in 2027

As I am one of the resident Cade Otton truthers in the Bucs universe, this may seem like an odd claim, given I praised the three-year, $30 million deal they just signed him to this off-season. But let’s look at some facts that I believe make this an eventuality rather than a possibility.

• The NFL is moving more and more to a 12 personnel league. Last year the league hit a five-year high in 12p rate (22.28%).
• Zac Robinson ran the second-highest rate of 12 personnel in the league last year at 38.17%.

Those two facts make more 12 personnel a real possibility for the future of the Bucs’ offense. It might not happen in 2026 doe to a lack of depth at the position. Tampa Bay has made several Day 3 dart throws over the past few seasons, with one of those working out (Otton – fourth round 2022), and the other three producing varying degrees of success.

Bucs TE Payne Durham and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Payne Durham, a fifth-round pick in 2023 has developed into a solid blocking option with extremely limited upside as a pass catcher. Devin Culp was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 draft has not been able to leverage his athleticism into a consistent role and is on the roster bubble headed into training camp. And Bauer Sharp, this year’s sixth-round pick, has some intrigue around him, but hasn’t proven anything to this point.

Having a second tight end on the field forces defenses into base personnel where their pass defense is weaker. It leaves them susceptible to play action and helps the offense get into their best blocking lineups for the run game. This is why the league is moving in that direction.

Underneath those obvious reasons is a secondary one – and it’s financial. Tight ends cost less on a receiving efficiency basis. If an NFL team can get a superior blocker with the same receiving stats for cheaper than a wide receiver, why not do it? And for those reasons I think the Bucs may be in play for an early Day 2 tight end during the 2027 draft or a real player for a move tight end in free agency to complement Otton.

Fun Fourth Down: Bucs Wide Receivers As Superheroes

In a previous edition of Cover 4 I took a look at the Bucs’ offensive line as a rock band, comparing, among others, Tristan Wirfs to The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. This week I thought I’d take another position group and compare it to another non-football pop culture area. Let’s see what you think of my parallels between Tampa Bay’s pass catchers and some of the more popular superheroes of the past several decades.

Chris Godwin Jr. as Daredevil

Perhaps a more obvious comparison would be to give Godwin the moniker of Captain America. And I wouldn’t fault someone for making the case. After all, he is now the longest-tenured receiver in the room, which makes a natural segue into him being the First Avenger. He is a proven captain, which is literally part of Captain America’s title and name, and his ability to win on option routes shows the high-level intellect that is part of the reason Cap has long been the leader of the Avengers.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But I’m going to go less obvious. After watching Godwin battle back from major injury after major injury after major injury, I’m left with this indelible image of Daredevil constantly getting beaten to a pulp only to get right back up again and take on the insurmountable odds he so often faces. Much like Daredevil, Godwin always seems to find a way back to success.

And let’s not forget that Daredevil is known as The Man Without Fear. Watching Godwin take a beating over the middle on catch after catch after catch, then set about getting back to work after his gruesome ankle injury in 2024, one cannot help but see him as the man without fear.

Jalen McMillan as the Human Torch

The Human Torch of the Fantastic Four, by definition, is a big ball of fire that burns bright and hot and fast. McMillan’s time in the NFL has been eerily similar. Go back to his first training camp, when he lit Bucs world on fire and many were ready to crown him the next big receiver. And after a touchdown in his first NFL regular season game, that appeared to be his destiny.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

But McMillan struggled for a large swath of the 2024 season. It was almost as if his torch had been extinguished. Then over the last quarter of the season we all watched as he flamed on, closing his rookie campaign with seven touchdowns over the final five games, tied with Mike Evans and Jimmie Giles for the most by any Buccaneer over a five-game span in franchise history.

Fast forward to 2025 and he looked primed to break out as a true superhero, only to have his flame snuffed out by a neck injury in the preseason. Three fractured vertebrae cost him the first fourteen weeks of the season. But he returned in Week 15 against Atlanta, and by Week 17 in Miami he had his first career 100-yard game, seven catches for 114 yards. The flames are still there, and his biggest proponents are still carrying the torch for him.

Emeka Egbuka as Captain America (Sam Wilson)

This one would have worked better if I had kept Chris Godwin Jr. as the original Cap, because many analysts, myself included, have referred to Egbuka as the next coming of Godwin. But while I decided to stick with Daredevil for Godwin, I want to keep the Sam Wilson reference here for Egbuka.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

He is the odds-on favorite to be the future face of the room for the Bucs. And while I still think the Godwin comp plays, there are real questions stemming from his rookie season that make me wonder whether it is a one-for-one. Specifically, Egbuka has not shown the ability to make the difficult contested grabs through contact that Godwin turned into his calling card.

As such, it leaves you wondering whether he can truly take up the mantle, in the same way many Captain America fans are left wondering whether Sam can fill the impressive shoes Steve Rogers left for him.

Ted Hurst as the Phoenix

Between his size, speed and potential, Hurst could become the best Bucs receiver since Mike Evans. He is destined to take on the X role, which is typically reserved for the most powerful receivers in the game.

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Phoenix is well known to be one of the most powerful characters in all of Marvel’s universes. And that is where I see this parallel starting. But what makes it a true comp, at least to me, is that the power is currently simmering below the surface.

The Phoenix was trapped inside of Jean Grey, limiting its power. Right now Hurst’s ability to ascend to one of the best receivers in the NFL is buried beneath the profile of a small-school rookie who needs quite a bit of polishing.

Tez Johnson as Hawkeye

In a universe filled with gods, mutants, infinity stones that power sentient AI and super serums, Hawkeye’s greatest power is his ability to set a new course record at the Masters.

It doesn’t make sense. He admitted as much in Age of Ultron:

“The city is flying. Okay. Look, the city is flying, we’re fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense. But I’m going back out there because it’s my job.”

Bucs WR Tez Johnson – Photo by: IMAGN Images

If there is a more apt parallel, I have not found it.

At sub-5-foot-10, Johnson’s height is in the 10th percentile for his position. He’s 160 pounds soaking wet, putting him at the zero percentile for weight. At those measurements you would expect him to be a speedster, maybe a Quicksilver or a Flash. His 4.51-second 40-yard dash is merely good, not great.

Tez Johnson should not work in the NFL. None of this makes sense, much like Barton and his medieval weaponry don’t make sense against Ultron or Thanos. But somehow he is an important part of the team.

Now for the astute reader, you will certainly pick up on the back that I stuck to exclusively Marvel superheroes. Admittedly, I am not an avid comic book reader, but I have certainly enjoyed the superhero movie genre of the past 20 years.

I am quite certain that DC has a strong stable of characters of which I could have drawn upon. But until they improve their cinematic universe, I will simply say they don’t move the needle for me. I have high hopes for James Gunn’s vision at Warner Brothers Discovery, but for now you get a Marvel-centric comp story from me.