A sixth-round pick who led the NFL in special teams tackles as a rookie and has stuck as one of Tampa Bay's core coverage players.
Josh Hayes took a winding college path, from North Dakota State to Virginia and finally Kansas State, before Tampa Bay drafted him in 2023. He has since become one of the league's most reliable special-teams tacklers while developing into a depth cornerback.
Path to the league
Hayes began his college career at North Dakota State, transferred to Virginia, and finished at Kansas State, where he recorded 72 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups in his final season. The Buccaneers selected him in the sixth round, 181st overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Hayes led the NFL in special teams tackles as a rookie in 2023 with 14, the most by a Buccaneer since Russell Shepard in 2014. He has since totaled 67 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery across his career while remaining a core special-teams contributor.
2025 season recap
Hayes played in all 17 games for Tampa Bay in 2025, continuing his role as a special-teams mainstay and depth cornerback for the Buccaneers' secondary.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Josh Hayes (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Josh Hayes
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | buccaneers | 17 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | buccaneers | 15 | 35 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | buccaneers | 15 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Kansas State
- Hometown
- Lakeland, FL, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
