During the broadcast of Tampa Bay's 19-0 preseason finale loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, general manager Jason Licht praised Garnes and acknowledged that the rookie cornerback had made a strong case to be included on the Buccaneers' final 53-man roster.
The former Arizona cornerback began making plays during training camp before announcing himself in his preseason debut against the New York Jets. Garnes recognized a pass from Bailey Zappe, jumped the route, and returned the interception 47 yards for a touchdown. It wasn't his only impressive play that night. Garnes also quickly diagnosed a shovel pass to Breece Hall and dropped the Jets running back for a five-yard loss. He finished his first NFL preseason game 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 and a 90.4 coverage grade. He had allowed four catches for 54 yards on seven targets without surrendering a touchdown, with opposing quarterbacks producing a 42.3 passer rating when targeting him. His playmaking continued during Tampa Bay's joint practices with Jacksonville, where Garnes jumped another route for an interception. Garnes finished the preseason finale with four tackles and a pass breakup while once again providing tight coverage, and also nearly came away with another interception on a pass affected by pressure from David Walker.
Tampa Bay entered camp with Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, Benjamin Morrison and fourth-round rookie Keionte Scott among its options in the secondary, while players such as Josh Hayes and Damarion "Pepe" Williams have also been competing for spots. He needed to make plays, contribute on special teams, and convince the Buccaneers that attempting to get him onto the practice squad wasn't worth the risk. Todd Bowles and the coaching staff had already taken notice of Garnes throughout camp, but hearing Licht acknowledge during the final preseason game that the undrafted rookie had made a case for the 53 carried additional weight. Licht and the Buccaneers have built a reputation for finding contributors after the draft, and Garnes could be the latest example.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Jason Licht praises Ayden Garnes during broadcast, hints shot at 53
