With the preseason complete, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have to make their final decisions before trimming the roster to 53 players. Undrafted rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes made it clear his name will be hard to leave off the list.
Garnes entered training camp needing to separate himself in a crowded secondary, and he did exactly that over the course of three preseason games. His performance in Tampa Bay's 19-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars provided one final opportunity to strengthen a roster case that had already been building throughout August. His biggest moment came in the preseason opener against the New York Jets. Garnes diagnosed a third-down concept, jumped Bailey Zappe's pass and returned the interception 47 yards for a touchdown.
Earlier in the game, he also recognized a shovel pass to Breece Hall and dropped the running back for a five-yard loss. Garnes finished the night with three tackles, a tackle for loss, and the pick-six.
Through Tampa Bay's first two preseason games, Pro Football Focus gave Garnes an 86.9 overall grade, which ranked 10th among qualifying NFL rookies. His 90.4 coverage grade was even more impressive. Across 53 coverage snaps, Garnes had been targeted seven times, allowing four receptions for 54 yards with no touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks produced just a 42.3 passer rating when targeting him, and he carried that momentum into the finale. Against Jacksonville, Garnes played 68 defensive snaps and finished with four tackles and a pass breakup. PFF credited him with allowing only two receptions for nine yards on four targets while giving him a 71.9 coverage grade and 67.5 overall defensive grade. He also didn't miss a tackle. There will still be difficult decisions when Tampa Bay determines how many cornerbacks it can carry, particularly with special teams factoring heavily into the bottom of the depth chart. But Garnes has done about as much as an undrafted rookie could ask of himself.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Ayden Garnes finishes preseason strong in pursuit of Buccaneers' 53
