Given the state of their defensive backfield heading into 2023, the Bucs could be in search of some cornerback help in the upcoming NFL Draft. One particular player of interest has direct ties to Tampa Bay, and that player is Stanford cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly. After Tuesday’s Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala., Pewter Report spoke to Kelly and asked what it would be like to potentially be drafted by the team his father, former Bucs cornerback Brian Kelly, played for from 1998-2007.

“I mean, it would be a dream come true,” Kelly told Pewter Report. “I was born in Tampa. My dad played [there]. It’s a legacy type of thing. I would be very proud to play in Tampa Bay.”

Brian Kelly was a mainstay on the Bucs’ defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s. He played 130 games (starting 79 of them) and recorded 22 interceptions and 99 passes defensed as a part of the Monte Kiffin “Tampa 2” scheme. Kyu Blu Kelly displays a different skill set than his father, showing a tendency to prefer to play press-man rather than zone.

When asked him about the fact that his college tape showed that preference, Kelly didn’t shy away from the assertation, but did note he feels comfortable playing both schemes.

“It’s true man, the tape tells I love press,” he said. “But coming in zone, it allows you to see more of the game. It allows you to do more things. Press is really more technique based. You can read a little bit of what the offense is doing. But zone, you can see more of the field, concepts, formations and everything.”

Comfort In Man And Zone Coverage Is Important In Bucs’ Defense

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

That comfort with both man and zone would be important if Kelly were to be drafted by the Bucs. Head coach Todd Bowles has shown a penchant for wanting to draft corners who played their best in college in press-man. Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum were all press-man-heavy corners coming out of college who were drafted during the Bowles era. And while Carlton Davis III was drafted a year prior to Bowles’ arrival, the Bucs did decide to give him a contract extension this past offseason with Bowles taking the reins as head coach.

Even though press-man is how those corners won in college, in the Bucs’ defense, they are asked to play a lot of cover-3 and cover-4.

Pewter Report also asked Kelly what he thought of potentially playing for Bowles in the Bucs’ defense, and he showed a real excitement for the prospect.

“That’s a great defensive coordinator,” Kelly said. “To play under him, to play aggressive defense, that’s my type of game, so I’d love to do it, for sure.”

With the Bucs potentially losing both Dean and Murphy-Bunting to free agency this offseason, there is currently a real need at the position group. Kelly could help fill that need for the Bucs as someone who has the size (6-foot, 193 pounds), aggressive play style and family lineage to be successful.