Former 1st-Round Pick Vernon Hargreaves Released by Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced Tuesday that they waived starting cornerback Vernon Hargreaves.

Hargreaves was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Big things were expected out of Hargreaves in Tampa after a standout collegiate career at the University of Florida, but he never managed to live up to his draft status.

The 24-year-old defensive back made nine starts for the Bucs this season, registering 39 tackles, four passes defended and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

Per Adam Levitan of DraftKings, Hargreaves grades out as Pro Football Focus' fifth-worst cornerback among qualified players this season:

Hargreaves had been part of a Tampa Bay secondary that ranks last in the NFL against the pass (298.9 yards per game) and 30th in passing touchdowns allowed (22).

Although the Bucs beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-27 on Sunday, they allowed rookie No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray to throw for 324 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Hargreaves' poor play contributed to Murray's big statistical outing.

Per ESPN's Jenna Laine, Hargreaves started Sunday's game, but he was replaced by Ryan Smith and Jamel Dean after halftime due to a "coaches' decision." Hargreaves did re-enter the game in the fourth quarter, but it was due to M.J. Stewart suffering an injury.

With Hargreaves out of the picture, head coach Bruce Arians will rely on rookie second-round pick Sean Murphy-Bunting, 2018 second-round pick Carlton Davis, a 2019 third-round pick in Dean, a 2018 second-round pick in Stewart and a 2016 fourth-round pick in Smith.

Considering how many corners Tampa Bay took in the first few rounds over the past two years, it was clear there were some reservations about Hargreaves and whether he would live up to his potential.

Also, Hargreaves missed seven games in 2017 with a hamstring injury and 15 games last season with a shoulder injury, so there were major questions regarding his durability.

In 35 career regular-season games, Hargreaves has 164 tackles, 19 passes defended and just two interceptions to his credit.

Hargreaves' failure to produce turnovers and penchant for giving up big plays led to his demise in Tampa, but the fact that he is still young and has a first-round pedigree could help him catch on with another team in a lesser role quickly.