The Bucs are gearing up for the second preseason game, which will take place on Saturday night against the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. The team will take on Kansas City before a short road trip to Jacksonville for two joint practices and the preseason finale in less than a week.

That also means roster cutdown day nears.

This week’s Slivon’s Slant analyzes five bubble players who have solidified themselves as 53-man roster locks. Who makes the cut raises an even more important question – is cornerback quietly becoming a position of strength for Tampa Bay?

Let’s take a deeper look.

My 5 Early Bucs 53-Man Roster Locks: From A Reliable Vet To Surprise Rookies

QB Jalon Daniels

In recent years, the Bucs have elected to keep just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster while stashing a third on the practice squad. Tampa Bay might not have that luxury this season, not with the way undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels has impressed the organization.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Daniels has generated plenty of buzz since signing with the team following the 2026 NFL Draft. After handling business in his preseason debut, one can expect him to continue receiving an extended look over the final two preseason games. Considering how he has looked in practice and his ability to control the offense against the Jets – completing 10-of-15 passes for 111 yards and adding a rushing touchdown – it is hard to imagine a scenario where Daniels does not make the team.

From the first day of rookie mini-camp in early May, he was commended for quickly grasping the offense and taking command of the huddle. Daniels was originally thought to be a practice squad stash-and-develop player, similar to the team’s attempts at doing the same with Michael Pratt and Connor Bazelak. Should the team expose him to waivers, it would not be surprising if another team claimed him.

Is that a risk the front office is willing to take?

From his plus arm strength and athleticism to his high-energy demeanor, there is a lot to like about how the 23-year-old can be molded under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, passing game coordinator T.J. Yates, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

With Daniels just beginning to tap into his abilities, the Bucs should not give another team the chance to swoop in.

TE Bauer Sharp

The Bucs did invest a draft selection into Bauer Sharp, as he rounded out the team’s 2026 draft class as a sixth-round pick. That gives him an advantage in a crowded tight end room. Outside of Ko Kieft grading out well for his run blocking in the preseason opener, none of the other backup tight ends have stood out this summer. It was one of the least productive groups in the NFL last season, which does not make anyone’s job guaranteed outside of Cade Otton.

Enter Sharp.

Bucs TE Bauer Sharp – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR

The 6-foot-5 tight end has flashed a blend of receiving ability and willingness to serve as a blocker. Still a bit raw after starting his college career as a quarterback, there is an untapped level to his game. Three offensive coordinators have tried to coax something out of Devin Culp, but it appears that he is the odd man out. Payne Durham has also served as a blocker, but he is not as strong as Kieft in that area and provides little as a receiving threat.

With Culp, Durham and Kieft each having fairly defined roles, that creates an opening for Sharp to prove he can be more well-rounded. He has made the most of his opportunities with Otton missing time in training camp and caught four passes in the first preseason game. Sharp is not a finished product, but that is precisely why he has more upside than the veterans competing around him.

DT Rakeem “Nacho” Nuñez-Roches

The Bucs’ defensive line is that much stronger now that Vita Vea is back after his contract extension. With Vea, Calijah Kancey, A’Shawn Robinson, Elijah Roberts, and fifth-round pick DeMonte Capehart, there are already five defensive tackles locked into place. Even as Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Jayson Jones, and Elijah Simmons compete, I would lock in “Nacho” and his boisterous personality as the sixth defensive tackle.

Bucs DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches – Photo by: IMAGN Images

The 33-year-old is nearing the end of his career, but that does not mean that he cannot be impactful in his second stint in Tampa Bay. “Nacho” is coming off a year where he had a career-high three sacks with the Giants, and it was in New York where he had his most productive years in the league. That shows he still has something left in the tank, while his experience provides a welcome veteran presence in the trenches. Jones and Simmons offer plenty of size and ability to stop the run, and I imagine both sticking around on the practice squad.

Give me one more season of “Nacho.”

CB Ayden Garnes

This one is easy and almost goes without saying.

I will say it anyway.

Ayden Garnes has been one of the Bucs’ best players throughout training camp.

Bucs CB Ayden Garnes – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 47-yard pick-six he returned in the preseason opener only strengthened the case for the undrafted free agent to make the team. Determining his role in the secondary gets interesting, as the team will (eventually) factor in 2025 second-round pick Benjamin Morrison. What should be noted is that Garnes has accomplished more on the field in a few months than Morrison has been able to since being drafted.

Based strictly on camp and preseason performance, Garnes has earned the right to be the Bucs’ No. 3 corner until someone takes the job from him. That is not a dig at “B-Mo,” but that is just how much of a diamond in the rough Garnes has been. From his stickiness in coverage to making plays on the football, those abilities are for real. His tackling does need some refinement, but he has more than held his own.

CB Damarion “Pepe” Williams

The Bucs made quite a statement about the cornerback room when they decided to recently waive Chase Lucas and Kemon Hall. Lucas and Hall were the “big” additions made at the position this offseason but letting them go speaks to their faith in Garnes and Damarion “Pepe” Williams to round out the depth chart. I had my doubts about Williams entering training camp, as the 28-year-old has not played in an NFL game since 2023 and is listed at just 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds.

Yet, he has been one of the more surprising performers throughout camp and played every snap in the first preseason game. Williams recorded 12 tackles, a sack, and a pass defense, showing an aggressive approach that translated from camp to the preseason opener. He has shown the chops to break up passes, and he carried that playmaking ability into the preseason opener. To me, that locks him into place as the fifth corner, and he also has special teams experience on his resume while with the Ravens.

The Bucs Cornerback Room Is Deeper, More Talented Than Expected

With what was said about Ayden Garnes and Damarion “Pepe” Williams above, this next part should not be a surprise.

The Bucs did not enter camp expecting cornerback to be one of their deepest position groups. They may be leaving camp with exactly that.

Bucs CBs Benjamin Morrison, Josh Hayes, Pepe Williams and Keionte Scott – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Even after missing a couple of camp practices, Zyon McCollum leads the team in interceptions and is noticeably more aggressive making plays on the football and not backing down. McCollum’s play firmly establishes him as the Bucs’ No. 1 corner entering the year, but it would not be shocking to see Jacob Parrish threaten for that title at some point.

Pewter Report’s Matt Matera brought up an interesting take on Wednesday’s Pewter Report Podcast that Parrish has looked like the best outside corner this summer, and that is not a wild claim. With Benjamin Morrison unable to stack enough consecutive practices, Parrish has effectively taken over the second cornerback spot for now. While on the smaller side, Parrish plays bigger than his frame with plenty of physicality. That shows up in defending bigger wide receivers, and he has a knack for making plays on the football, too. Between McCollum, Parrish, and some emerging talent, this room is making things interesting.

Ayden Garnes has played well enough to deserve consideration to be the first cornerback off the bench. Morrison still has plenty of potential, as he was drafted by Tampa Bay as a first-round talent. The concern with him has never been about talent but consistently staying on the field to realize it and improve with experience. In a world where he is third or fourth corner, that is a much more comforting outcome than relying on him as the second cornerback and hoping for the best. Throw in “Pepe” Williams as a fifth corner, keeping Josh Hayes for his special teams ability, and occasionally rotating fourth-round pick Keionte Scott outside, there is suddenly a surplus of cornerbacks.

Expectedly, the focus has been on other revamped defensive position groups over the past month.

The outside linebacker room appears better than advertised in its own right with Rueben Bain Jr. and David Walker exceeding expectations. The defensive line has set the tone without Vita Vea and looks even scarier with him. Inside linebackers Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter have looked the part as schematic fits. All of those emerging headlines have lessened just how well the cornerbacks have played.

It shouldn’t.

Believe it or not, but what was presumed to be a weakness now appears to be a position of strength.

Closing Slant

The Bucs are closing in on Week 1 of the regular season, which is less than a month away.

With that looming in the not-too-distant future, there will soon be answers to all the questions about what the 53-man roster will look like. The final roster cutdown day will be harder for Tampa Bay than in recent years given how much deeper the team is at several positions. Given who has performed well three weeks in, some players have already started to lock themselves in.

No, it is not the regular season, but it is still competitive football with more than 1,000 players across the NFL fighting for an opportunity. The final two preseason games will determine who makes their dreams a reality. That’s what makes them worth watching.