Zyon McCollum’s Slant Route Struggles Are Becoming a Real Problem for the Bucs
Zyon McCollum was supposed to be one of the foundational pieces of the Buccaneers' secondary in 2025. After a breakout campaign in 2024, the Bucs showed their faith in the young cornerback by handing him a three-year, $48 million extension this past August. But 13 weeks into the season, that investment is looking shaky - and a lot of it comes down to one glaring issue: McCollum is getting carved up on slant routes.
Let’s be clear - this isn’t just a rough patch or a few bad matchups. The numbers back up what the tape shows: McCollum is struggling, and opposing offenses know exactly how to attack him.
The Slant Route Is McCollum’s Kryptonite
Take Week 13 against the Cardinals. According to Pro Football Focus, McCollum was targeted seven times and gave up five catches for 47 yards.
Two of those catches - and 27 of those yards - came on in-breaking slant routes. That’s not an anomaly; it’s part of a season-long trend.
So far this year, McCollum has been targeted 11 times on slants or short in-breakers. He’s allowed a catch on every single one of those throws.
That’s 11-for-11, with an average of 10.3 yards per target. In today’s NFL, where quick passes and easy completions are gold, that’s as close to a guaranteed first down as it gets.
What’s Going Wrong?
It’s not just the results - it’s how they’re happening. Whether he’s in man or zone, McCollum is consistently a step behind. And in the NFL, a step is all a receiver needs.
In Man Coverage
When McCollum lines up in press, he should be in a position to disrupt routes early. That’s where corners can win - at the line of scrimmage, with good footwork and physicality.
But McCollum’s technique is breaking down. He’s getting caught leaning outside, or stuck in a flat-footed backpedal.
Once that happens, he’s toast. The receiver has inside leverage, the quarterback sees it, and the ball is out before McCollum can recover.
You can see it on film - he hesitates just enough to give up the window. And in this league, windows don’t stay open for long. But against McCollum, they don’t have to - they’re already there.
In Zone Coverage
Zone presents a different challenge, but the issues are similar. When you’re playing off, you need to read the route early and close fast.
That means trusting your eyes, trusting your instincts, and driving on the throw with confidence. McCollum isn’t doing that right now.
He’s often in the right spot - he’s not blowing assignments - but he’s reacting late. He’s slow to recognize the in-breaking stem, and by the time he drives forward, the receiver already has the ball.
Worse, once the ball is in the air, McCollum often looks lost. He’s not locating the pass, and he’s not arriving at the catch point with any real impact.
The result? Easy completions underneath, and first downs that keep drives alive. For a defense trying to get off the field, that’s a killer.
Confidence Is Slipping - And It Shows
This isn’t just about technique. It’s about confidence - or the lack of it.
McCollum looks like a player who’s second-guessing himself. He’s thinking too much, reacting too slow, and playing without the edge that made him stand out a season ago.
And that’s what makes this such a tough situation for Tampa Bay. They didn’t just pay McCollum to be a solid starter.
They paid him to be a cornerstone of a more aggressive, man-coverage-heavy defense. He was supposed to take the leap - to lead a revamped cornerback room and help elevate the unit as a whole.
Instead, he’s become a target. Literally. Quarterbacks are going after him, and they’re finding success.
What Comes Next?
The Bucs still have time to turn things around, but McCollum has to be part of the solution. His struggles on slants are just one piece of a larger problem - a player who’s out of rhythm, out of sync, and playing without the conviction that defined his breakout year.
The good news? The talent is still there.
McCollum has the size, athleticism, and experience to bounce back. But it’s going to take a mental reset.
He needs to get back to trusting his technique, playing with urgency, and attacking routes instead of reacting to them.
If the Bucs are going to make a push down the stretch - or build something sustainable for 2026 and beyond - they need the version of Zyon McCollum they paid for. The one who looked like a rising star just a few months ago.
Right now, that player feels a long way off. But in this league, things can change fast. The question is: can McCollum flip the switch before it’s too late?