Zyon McCollum, Blitz-Need Under The Microscope
July 1st, 2025
Yes, the man Todd Bowles labeled his “1A” cornerback has detractors.
Joe’s referring to Zyon McCollum, who made 9 starts in 2023 before taking over the outside cornerback job full-time when the Bucs traded Carlton Davis.
McCollum is a spectacular athlete and the Bucs have done a great job developing their 2022 fifth-round pick, but his game has flaws and scrutiny comes when you’re a top-dog corner on a playoff team.
On the New York Times pay-to-read site TheAthletic.com, the Bucs defense was identified today as one of five NFL defenses primed to “break out.” Film guru Ted Nguyen focused on McCollum, among other areas.
Corner Zyon McCollum took the next step in his development last season, batting down 17 passes, but he also allowed 839 yards. He has to take fewer chances, but there’s a lot of space to defend in a defense that blitzes as much as the Bucs do.
And that’s where the naysayers go when it comes to McCollum within the porous Bucs pass defense, and his tackling isn’t always sure.
Joe is a fan of McCollum. He’s darn good. He can cover, and he just turned 26 as he enters a contract year.
Nguyen is confident McCollum and all his defensive back brothers will improve if Bowles can restore decency to — all together now — the Bucs’ four-man pass rush.
Bowles will always have the urge to blitz, but if the Bucs’ young pass rushers develop and Reddick bounces back, he won’t have to blitz out of necessity. They can confuse defenses with some simulated pressures or show blitz and drop into coverage, which would help out their defensive backs. The Buccaneers have led the league in blitz rate (37.8 percent) by a wide margin since Bowles landed in Tampa Bay as defensive coordinator in 2019. The only major acquisition the Bucs have made is Reddick, but whether or not they break out will depend on how their young pass rushers develop.
The good news is every reason exists for the Bucs defense to improve. On paper, it looks better with more internal competition and depth.
On paper.