Jamel Dean: PFF’s Highest Graded Defender of Week 10

In week 9, Jamel Dean had been thrust into action due to an unfortunate injury to Carlton Davis just before the game. Not having had a chance to practice with the starters, Dean played lost, and fans gave him hell for it. But as Week 10 rolls around, the rookie cornerback had the chance to work with the 1’s, study tons of film, and it paid off tremendously.

* He is the first Buccaneers to record 4 pass defends in a single game since Brent Grimes achieved it in 2012.

But wait! There’s more!

Dean is one of the first Buccaneers defenders since recording PD statistics began in 1999 to record 4 passes defended in two consecutive games, and he is the first to achieve this since Brian Kelly graced a Buccaneers’ uniform(2002).

Also, Dean was given the highest PFF rank of any defender for Week 10 at 95.5. The ranking is higher than that of CB Marcus Peters, who we all know how an outstanding game last week, and that of Jets’ Safety Jamal Adams. Dean’s PFF ranking is quite impressive considering the company.

You can check out the PFF Ranking here: PFF Week 10 Team of The Week.

It’s safe to say that the reasoning behind Vernon Hargreaves is not just the lack of hustle attributed to him in last week’s game or the corroborative overall poor performance since being selected 11th in 2016, however more in part due to the quick development of Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting. Despite the great performance of Dean and the win last week at home, the Buccaneers defense has been on a steady decline and now ranks 32nd. 

Hopefully, with the “Burnt Toast” being tossed out into the garbage bin, the secondary will wake up and begin to pull us out of the bottom of the league.

*Source: Scott Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers