Bucs head coach Todd Bowles made it known at the 2025 NFL Combine this week that he is looking for ballhawks – no matter what position they play. Looking at some prospects who fit that mold, one does not need to overthink how Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts and Benjamin Morrison could make an impact in Tampa Bay’s secondary.

Watts and Morrison both had formal meetings with the team in Indianapolis and spoke on Thursday morning about how things went.

Xavier Watts Is “Always Trying To Get The Ball”

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts – Photo by: USA Today

Starting with safety Xavier Watts, the first thing that jumps out about him is his ball production for the Fighting Irish. Watts amassed a whopping 13 interceptions over the past two years in just 29 games.

Looking at them, he averaged 21 yards per interception return. A one-time wide receiver and linebacker, he found his home attacking the football on the defensive back end.

“To win the football game, you got to get the ball,” Watts said about his mindset making plays on the field. “I feel like Coach [Al] Golden has done a great job of instilling that to me and the team at Notre Dame. When I’m out there, I’m always trying to get the ball.”

What stands out on tape is his ball instincts, something Todd Bowles is surely looking at when evaluating which players could make a positive impact within his defense.

To Watts, it stems from his background.

“Yeah, it’s 100% natural,” Watts added. “I played receiver, so the way I catch the ball is just like a receiver, I’m just playing defense. At the same time, I’m a defensive back now, so I got to play like a DB but the ball skills do come from [being] a receiver.”

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

Bowles stresses the importance of communication in his secondary, and last season he often voiced that it was miscommunication that was the defense’s downfall. On the flip side, the Notre Dame safety recognizes how vital communicating and building trust is.

“You got to communicate. I was like a really quiet guy, but you got to communicate to win the game,” he said. “Having that camaraderie and trust in each other and you just go out there and play football.”

What Would The Bucs Be Getting By Drafting Xavier Watts?

Xavier Watts went further when asked what kind of player and person he would be for the NFL team that drafted him.

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts – Photo by: USA Today

“The type of person I am, I’m caring and trustworthy,” Watts said. “All the guys, all the teammates I’m going to be around, I want those guys to trust me. I want them to know I care for them. I want to go out there and work every day for them. It’s never anything about individually, I’m not trying to get stats or anything. I want to go out there and play for the program I’m going to be a part of.”

The Bucs value versatility in the secondary and have cross-trained just about every player on the back end. Whether it’s Antoine Winfield Jr. playing a year at nickel before going back to safety, Tykee Smith being drafted as a nickel but in conversation to be at the other safety spot, Zyon McCollum briefly learning the nickel and safety spots, or Christian Izien filling in wherever he’s needed, versatility is a prerequisite.

It’s not something Watts shys away from and mentioned one young player who’s done it in the NFL.

“Just being able to play multiple positions,” Watts said about what it takes to be a modern-day defensive back. “You can’t be one-dimensional, you want to be able to go out there and do multiple things. [Lions star] Brian Branch can play safety, nickel, and he could probably play corner too. Just being versatile is really good to have.”

When asked about his meeting with the Bucs, he thinks playing next to Antoine Winfield Jr. would be a great fit.

“It would be really cool. He’s a really good player, Tampa Bay is a great spot,” Watts said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Benjamin Morrison Is A Tantalizing CB Option

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts and CB Benjamin Morrison – Photo by: USA Today

Benjamin Morrison enters the 2025 NFL Draft coming off a season where he missed 10 games with a season-ending hip injury. Morrison remains a promising cornerback prospect who could still be taken in the first round.

With the Bucs needing to add another cornerback, what could he add to the room? Well, Xavier Watts gave Pewter Report a rundown of what qualities his Fighting Irish teammate possesses.

“‘B-Mo is my guy,'” Watts said. “He’s a really good football player. He’s what, six-foot? I’m going to give you the whole breakdown. Six-foot, 190-195 pounds, he’s got long arms. He’s got good technique, really patient. He can come up and make tackles like he needs to and he’s an amazing cover guy.”

Morrison recorded six interceptions in 2022 and three interceptions in 2023. Although he failed to come down with an interception in 2024, he put plenty of ballhawking tape out there to analyze.

What adds another level of intrigue is the familiarity Todd Bowles has with his father, who he played with during his last NFL season in 1993.