By Ayden Garnes Making Strong Push for Buccaneers’ 53-Man Roster
TAMPA, Fla. — Every NFL training camp has a player who arrives with little fanfare and gradually becomes impossible to ignore.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that player may be rookie cornerback Ayden Garnes.
Garnes wasn’t one of Tampa Bay’s seven selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, all 32 teams passed on him throughout the seven-round draft.
The Buccaneers quickly brought him aboard afterward, signing the Arizona cornerback as an undrafted free agent to a three-year contract.
Three months later, Garnes is making a serious case that the Bucs may have found another undrafted defensive back capable of sticking on the final roster.
Garnes Took the Long Road to Tampa Bay
Garnes’ college career included stops at Duquesne and West Virginia before he finished at Arizona.
The 6-foot cornerback saved arguably his best season for last.
In 2025, Garnes recorded 43 tackles, eight passes defensed and an interception for an Arizona secondary that finished first nationally in pass-efficiency defense.
Before Arizona, his season at West Virginia was shortened by injury, but he still produced 25 tackles in six games.
Despite that experience and production, Garnes went undrafted.
That immediately put him in a difficult position. Draft picks generally receive more opportunities to develop. Undrafted rookies have to make an impression quickly.
Garnes has done exactly that.
Making Plays Since the Spring
Garnes’ emergence didn’t suddenly begin when the Buccaneers put on pads in training camp.
He started attracting attention during the team’s offseason program, when injuries in Tampa Bay’s secondary provided him additional opportunities.
Garnes took advantage, consistently getting his hands on passes and showing an ability to stay with receivers in coverage.
His performance was strong enough that Bleacher Report identified Garnes before training camp as the Buccaneers’ undrafted free agent with the best chance of making the roster, citing his experience, technique, and ball skills.
The Buccaneers themselves also noted Garnes’ progress heading into camp, pointing out that he made several eye-catching plays during OTAs and minicamp.
That momentum has carried into training camp.
Garnes has continued to make plays on the football and has worked his way into a legitimate competition for a reserve cornerback position.
That’s exactly what an undrafted player has to do: make coaches notice him every time an opportunity comes his way.
At this stage, Garnes no longer looks like simply another camp body. He looks like someone with a chance to stick.
Buccaneers Have a History With Undrafted Defensive Backs
Garnes also landed with an organization willing to give undrafted defensive backs legitimate opportunities.
Tampa Bay has often found contributors after the draft. Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather, and Derrek Pitts all made the roster as undrafted defensive backs in 2023.
Tyrek Funderburk followed in 2024, while J.J. Roberts was making a strong push in 2025 before a preseason injury ended his season.
Garnes could become the latest addition to that list.
The Buccaneers opened training camp with nine cornerbacks, including Garnes, Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish, Josh Hayes, Chase Lucas, Kemon Hall, Damarion Williams, and rookie defensive back Keionte Scott.
McCollum, Morrison, and Parrish are positioned prominently in the cornerback rotation, while Scott’s versatility gives Todd Bowles another option in the secondary.
After that, however, the competition becomes much more interesting.
That’s where Garnes has an opportunity.
Can Ayden Garnes Make the Buccaneers’ 53-Man Roster?
At this point, the answer is yes!
Calling Garnes a lock would be premature, but calling him a long shot doesn’t accurately reflect the progress he has made since arriving in Tampa.
His biggest challenge may be special teams.
Backup defensive backs usually aren’t active on Sundays solely because they can cover receivers. They need to contribute on punt coverage, kickoff coverage, or return units.
Josh Hayes, for example, already has value as a special-teams player.
For Garnes, proving he can help in that phase could ultimately determine whether he is on the 53-man roster after the final cuts.
The preseason games will also carry enormous weight. Practice performances get players noticed; preseason snaps can get them roster spots.
Garnes needs to show that the ball production and coverage ability he has displayed on the practice field translate when the Buccaneers face another team.
Still, the rookie has already accomplished something significant.
When camp began, Garnes was an undrafted free agent fighting simply to get enough repetitions to show what he could do.
Now he’s fighting for a place on the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.
And if Garnes keeps making plays at his current pace, Tampa Bay’s coaching staff may find it increasingly difficult to leave No. 24 off the roster.
