If you want evidence as to how much things have changed for the better on defense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from last year to this year, look no further than what’s happening at the slot cornerback/nickelback position.
That’s where you’ll find Christian Izien and rookie Jacob Parrish locked in a heated battle to be the starter — a competition that only serves to improve the defense as a whole.
Position battles on defense weren’t anything anyone was talking about last year with the Buccaneers, which may have been a sign of the lackluster season that awaited on that side of the ball.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton listed the competition between Parrish and Izien as one of the NFL’s “most important position battles” headed into the regular season.
The Buccaneers open the season with a road game against the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons on September 7.
” …. Parrish has logged multiple interceptions at practice,” Moton wrote on August 14. “He flashed his ball-hawking tendencies in the Buccaneers’ Week 1 preseason matchup with the Tennessee Titans, registering two pass breakups. Izien had a solid showing against the Titans with two tackles (one solo), though Parrish’s impact plays jumped off the screen. Tampa Bay’s coaching staff may find it difficult to keep the rookie out of the starting nickel lineup.”
Izien Went From Undrafted to Full Time Starter
Izien was a 2-time All-Big Ten pick at Rutgers and closed out his career with 41 consecutive starts. His size — he’s just 5-foot-8 and 199 pounds — likely led to him not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft.
It certainly wasn’t Izien’s athletic ability holding him back. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds at the NFL scouting combine to go with an incredible 41.5-inch vertical leap and 20 reps in the 225-pound bench press.
Those are the kind of numbers that would get almost any secondary prospect drafted. Just not Izien.
He made Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2023 and went on to play in all 17 games with 4 starts and 2 interceptions in his first 2 games — the first undrafted rookie to accomplish the feat in NFL history.
Izien missed 3 games due to injuries in 2024 but still played in 14 games with 10 starts, with 75 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.
Parrish Earning Reputation As ‘Ball Hawk’ Early On
Parrish was a third round pick (No. 84 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft, and one of 2 cornerbacks the Buccaneers took with consecutive picks following Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second round (No. 53 overall).
Through rookie camp, minicamp and training camp, the drum has only started to beat louder for Parrish, with the competition between himself and Izien only serving to make the defense better as a whole.
“Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles already said Christian Izien will be on the 53-man roster,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on August 4. “But in what capacity? The former undrafted free agent grabbed a starting role in 2023 before serving as a backup to Tykee Smith last season but wound up stepping in at safety and even at outside corner. But rookie Jacob Parrish has had multiple interceptions since he got to Tampa, and Bowles wants ball hawks.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Buccaneers Have One of NFL’s ‘Most Important Position Battles’ on Defense appeared first on Heavy Sports.