Bucs HC Todd Bowles reveals unexpected contender for key role

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled for defensive back depth last year, rotating quite a few players into the secondary. And now, heading into 2025, they have a wealth of players at one position.

The Bucs played defensive back Tykee Smith at nickel corner last year, and he shined in that role when he was healthy. But many have been wondering during the offseason if he would make the move to safety alongside Antoine Winfield Jr., and head coach Todd Bowles seemed to confirm that on Tuesday after the first day of OTAs — mostly, at least.

“He’s a safety, but he’s always a nickel," Bowles said. "Depending on the game, he gives us a variety to do different things. We’ll see as it goes. He’s playing safety right now, but he’s taking reps at nickel, as well.”

Versatility is always key in a Todd Bowles defense, so it makes sense that Smith's ability to keep playing nickel will be valuable. But if he moves over to safety for a majority of his snaps, who will step in to take his place?

The Bucs have a lot of options, including newly-drafted defensive back Jacob Parrish out of Kansas State, who the Bucs selected in the third round. But when Bowles was asked about who could be in that competition coming up, he threw in an interesting name.

“All of them. You’ve got Tykee, you’ve got [Jacob] Parrish, you’ve got J.J. [Roberts], you’ve got Zyon [McCollum]," Bowles said. "Depending on how the team shakes out and what kind of mix we have, they’re all different types of players. You’ve got ‘Izzy’ (Christian Izien) – we’ve got a bunch of nickels right now. We need safeties and corners. We’ve got about four or five guys that can fill that nickel role.”

That name is Zyon McCollum, who started at outside cornerback last year and made a vast improvement from previous years. The team did draft Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison in the NFL Draft, so the idea there could be to get all of your best defensive backs on the field, putting McCollum in the slot.

It would certainly be a bit strange, after his success in 2024, but McCollum himself wasn't against the notion when asked about it after Bowles spoke.

"I'm focused on playing corner, but I'm focused on playing defense back," McCollum said. "I can play any position back there — corner, safety, linebacker, it doesn't really matter. I'm preparing to play anything, and we don't know what's gonna go on during the season. Anyone can go down at any point, and we just want the best 11 on the field."

It would certainly be a strange move to see McCollum at nickel after last year, but you never know how things will shake out — and Bowles may have a few more tricks up his sleeve when it comes to his personnel in 2025.