Benjamin Morrison Might Be Too Injury-Prone
April 11th, 2025
Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison.
Joe always uses the famous Bill Parcells quote about injuries because it is so true, and it’s why teams will shy away from good players, which often frustrates fans to no end.
“Your best ability is your availability.”
A guy could have Hall of Fame talent but if he’s always in street clothes due to injury, he cannot do one damn thing to help a team win.
This is why Joe ran out of rope with Jamel Dean. Unlike a lot of folks, Joe doesn’t think Dean is a bad player — when he’s on the field. In three of the past four Bucs playoff games, Dean wasn’t on the field in the fourth quarter.
If you can’t help your team out in a season’s most important games, then what’s the point?
Don’t think Dean is a good? Well, the Bucs were flying high last year until Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Dean got hurt. The next four games without those three, the Bucs lost them all.
After the four-game losing streak, Dean and Evans returned and the Bucs won six of their final seven games and won the NFC South.
No, Joe doesn’t believe in coincidences.
Sadly, one of the best cornerbacks in the draft, Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame, may be too injury-prone for the Bucs. Morrison is a damn fine corner. In 31 games he has 9 picks. He led the nation as a freshman with six picks. But there are two red flags for him.
First, it seems he gets taken out by bigger, physical blockers. As a result, Morrison isn’t so good at defending the run. That’s not good. Todd Bowles won’t like that.
The second? Dude is always hurt.
Morrison has had two hip surgeries and a shoulder surgery. And this is before he takes a snap in the NFL!
Dane Brugler of The Athletic, typing in “The Beast,” loves Morrison’s pass defense, is worried about Morrison getting rubbed out on running plays and hates his injury history.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Notre Dame, Morrison was primarily an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Al Golden’s 4-2-5 base scheme, occasionally moving inside to the slot when shadowing receivers (86.7 percent of career snaps came outside). He put himself on the NFL radar as a Freshman All-American for the Irish and was a consistent performer when on the field. Unfortunately, injuries (including surgeries on his shoulder and hip) disrupted his junior season. Regardless of the type of coverage, Morrison has terrific foot quickness and body fluidity to mirror early and regain phase late, allowing him to make plays on the football without panic. He shows a natural feel in coverage and understands play indicators to look and lean or read and drive. Overall, the play strength and durability concerns will follow him to the next level, but Morrison is an athletic, technically-sound cover man who works hard to stay attached to routes and make plays on the ball. As long as he stays healthy, he is a scheme-versatile NFL starter.
Joe would be OK if the Bucs took Morrison on the third day of the draft, but not before. Brugler thinks Morrison could slip to Round 3.
There’s not a big market for an injury-prone corner who gets eaten up in the run game and has had three surgeries in the past five years, including two hip surgeries.
By comparison, Morrison makes Dean look like an endurance champion.
(If the video of Morrison’s highlights and interview don’t appear below, click here.)
https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1909758525447811294
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April 11th, 2025 at 7:15 am
“In three of the past four Bucs playoff games, Dean wasn’t on the field in the fourth quarter.” That stat is just damning.
Pass on Mr. Morrison. He’s already on the team…sometimes.
April 11th, 2025 at 8:10 am
Hard pass, he’s been off my board from day 1.
April 11th, 2025 at 8:23 am
It seems Bucs do not draft cornerbacks with big injury histories in college.
Dean missed 1 game in college in 2 seasons of starting.
Davis missed 2 games in college in 3 seasons of starting.
April 11th, 2025 at 8:58 am
If he’s available in the third round, he’d be hard to pass up. He has first-round talent—if not for the injuries. This is where the draft becomes a bit of a gamble: how high of a pick is he worth, knowing he might only play a few games a year? On the other hand, he might stay healthy and give you first-round production at a third-round price. It’s unlikely he avoids injuries entirely, but maybe it’s something nutritional or fixable—who knows.
April 11th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Geno711
I think Morrison has had too many injuries to be a high draft pick. That being said, I also think that’s why Campbell will be our pick, to your points above. Injury history in college doesn’t always translate at the NFL level. It’s mostly random, a single data point, although a long injury history in college could show a trend for that player.Campbell came out of his last bowl game with injury, waited to have his surgery after he could show his stuff at the combine, then did immediately after to ensure he’ll be ready as soon as possible.
April 11th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Take Rob Gronkowski, for example—the Patriots would never have been able to draft him where they did if he hadn’t been injured. And look how that turned out. Risk vs Reward……
April 11th, 2025 at 9:24 am
Yeah- let’s pass
April 11th, 2025 at 9:39 am
It’s a pass for me too. Too many multiple injuries/surgeries. Feel bad saying that though. He could be fully rehabbed before October and do well. Thinking about Campbell too. You never know, everyone heals differently.
April 11th, 2025 at 10:17 am
Curtis Martin is an older example. Injury history in college drove him to the third round while he was clearly a first round talent. Had a great pro-career obviously. With little injury concern. One doesn’t always necessarily equal the other. But I understand the concern.
April 11th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Jaycee Horn with top 10 talent drafted at 8th and ignored his college injury history.
Even worse in 2021 was Caleb Farley who in March of 2021 underwent a surgical procedure that was supposed to be more minor than a shoulder labrum tear.
He went 22 overall in 2021. He has played a total of 21 games in 4 NFL seasons. 21 games out of 68 games. Makes Dean look like a warrior.
April 11th, 2025 at 11:54 am
Barron is the best case scenario at CB in round 1.
If he’s off the board then go another route.
I just think the defensive backfield is the most glaring need.
CB and S are the priority in my opinion.
LB and DL can be added later in the draft.
This is a HUGE draft for Bowles, Licht, and the Bucs.
Could determine the next five years in the NFC Least division.
April 11th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Dean was much more athletic than Davis (who both played together in college before joining the Bucs), but dropped in the draft due to knee injuries… and there were a lot of questions about his recovery during the draft process. While it didn’t affect his speed… some people just seem to have availability issues
April 11th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
It’s a shame. He was on a really nice trajectory until his injury.
April 11th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
As long as we don’t draft a K, P, LS, TE, or RB then we are filling a need. Bucs have the chance to build depth at WR and O line. Or we can greatly improve our defense.
I wouldn’t want any player with an injury history in the first or second round.
April 11th, 2025 at 6:25 pm
Speaking of injury prone, looks like Carr’s going to be in the shop for shoulder surgery to start the season. Saints may in the hunt for Sanders.
April 11th, 2025 at 8:07 pm
I get that a TRUE stud cover corner is a rare breed. NFL WR’s are just too good to cover for very long.
For the few gifted players however exceptions are made. Neon Deion played two hand touch for most of his career, never making a hit he didn’t absolutely have to, but he was awesome at sticking to quality targets. Neon wasn’t “physical” enough to get injured a lot.
IF this guy is truly like flypaper on receivers…I do not know and have to see it to believe it…he’s worth a gamble. But I agree with others who have pointed out Todd wants to stop the run game and probably would not be happy even with a Deion Sanders if they refuse to stick their nose in there.
April 12th, 2025 at 1:41 am
That Bill Parcells quote perfectly captures the brutal reality of professional sports.
April 12th, 2025 at 6:09 am
A corner with bad hips? Your kidding right? Nope
Go Bucs!
April 12th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Don’t need another injury prone player in our secondary.
April 13th, 2025 at 11:42 am
“Josh Says:
April 11th, 2025 at 8:58 am
If he’s available in the third round, he’d be hard to pass up. He has first-round talent—if not for the injuries. ”
This makes sense to me. But 1st two picks need to be healthy and capable of producing at DT and Edge this year. I also like South Carolina ILB a player who may fall since he is 25 years old as a possible 3rd round pick.