Zyon McCollum is walking into 2026 with the kind of spotlight that tends to find out who you really are. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Jamel Dean to the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, and that leaves McCollum as the most experienced corner in a room full of questions.
He’s also the player carrying the most expectations. The 27-year-old is entering his fifth season, and after signing a three-year, $48 million extension before last season, he’s no longer just a starter - he’s the guy Tampa is counting on to steady the whole group. That’s a lot to ask from a cornerback coming off a rough 2025.
The Bucs’ current cornerback mix makes McCollum’s role even more important. Behind him are second-year players Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison, plus rookie Keionte Scott, a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s a young, talented group, but it’s also an unproven one, and it’s going to need McCollum to show the way.
That’s where the pressure really ramps up. If McCollum looks like the player who flashed early in his career - and especially the version Tampa saw in 2024 - the secondary has a chance to become a strength. If he doesn’t, the Bucs could wind up regretting the money they committed to him.
The organization didn’t make a big move to replace Dean after he left, which says plenty about how Tampa views McCollum. The front seven got the bulk of the offseason investment, but the cornerback room was left largely intact aside from Scott’s arrival. In other words, the Bucs are betting that McCollum can be their CB1.
There are plenty of unknowns around him. Can Scott handle the jump right away?
Can Benjamin Morrison stay healthy after missing seven games as a rookie and dealing with another injury this offseason? Can Jacob Parrish translate a terrific rookie season in the slot to work on the outside?
McCollum doesn’t have to answer all of those questions, but he does have to provide the stability that holds the room together.
He’s confident he can do that, and he believes his versatility will help as the secondary keeps changing around him.
If McCollum rebounds, Tampa Bay’s defense has a real path to becoming one of the NFL’s best. If he doesn’t, the rest of those headline-grabbing additions up front may not be enough to carry the unit.
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