The Bucs didn’t bring in Kevin Knowles to patch a hole at cornerback. They brought him in because special teams needed help, and they needed it badly.
That’s the real story behind the waiver move that followed Tampa Bay’s roster cutdown last Sunday. Kansas City claimed outside linebacker Jack Pyburn, who had turned heads for the Bucs in the preseason, and then waived Knowles. Tampa Bay answered by claiming the cornerback, but the fit has less to do with defensive depth than with what he can do in the kicking game.
The Bucs’ special teams issues have been hanging around for a while. According to Sumer Sports, Tampa Bay finished 24th in EPA/punt at -0.052.
The kickoff unit was even uglier, ranking 30th in field position allowed at the 33.2-yard line. Late last season, Todd Bowles said the team had basically stopped trying to force a return because they had lost confidence in their ability to stop one.
In other words, they were giving up 30 yards of field position and living with it.
This offseason, the team made it clear that wasn’t good enough. Danny Smith was hired as special teams coordinator to replace Thomas McGaughey.
Miles Killebrew is on the roster because of his special teams value as a two-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro. Cade Fordham made the initial roster and is now back on the practice squad largely for the same reason.
Knowles fits that same mold. He’s described as an elite kickoff coverage player and a solid punt gunner, and that’s exactly the kind of piece the Bucs have been missing.
The next question is how Smith will use him.
The clips shared by Josh Queipo showed Knowles aligned on the left hash in the L5 spot, and that’s where the real intrigue starts. Smith has used the inside coverage positions before with bigger bodies.
Early last year, he had Jack Sawyer and Malik Harrison in those roles. By Week 3, Chuck Clark and Juan Thornhill had slid into the fifth spots, though that setup didn’t stick for long.
The pairing Smith used most often in 2025 was Sawyer and tight end Connor Heyward at 233 pounds. Those kinds of players were often used to take on double teams so others could run free.
Knowles is a different kind of problem. At 4.48 in the 40, he brings speed that can force return teams to rethink their blocking.
Put him in the middle, and an opponent may have to choose between doubling him with a bigger body or leaving a smaller defensive back to handle someone bigger on the edge. Either way, the coverage unit can create stress.
That’s why his arrival matters. He has enough speed and tackling ability to force teams into awkward decisions, and that makes him more than just another depth add. He’s a player who can change how opponents line up.
There’s also the Killebrew factor. Over all 89 kickoff coverage snaps the Steelers played last year, Smith never used Killebrew in the 5.
That could hint at how he’ll handle Knowles, possibly mirroring the two on opposite sides at the 3 or 4 instead of using them together in the middle. Or Smith could pair them on the same side and challenge kicker Chase McLaughlin to direct kicks a certain way.
With the current kickoff rules still settling in, the strategy around coverage is still evolving too. Players like Knowles can become the kind of piece that changes the math for everyone else on the field. He’s also a strong punt gunner, which only adds to his value.
For Tampa Bay, that’s the point. The Bucs are making a real effort to get better in an area that has been a problem for too long.
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