The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in dire straits defensively. While they have a surprisingly solid offense thanks to Baker Mayfield’s incredible efforts under center, their lack of a proper defense was one of the biggest reasons why the Bucs fell to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.
Due to this, one of the team’s biggest needs is centered around the defensive side of the ball. They especially need a reliable corner that can contain speedy wide receivers and prevent their opponents from completing huge passes down the field.
The Bucs tried to address their weaknesses at the cornerback position by bringing over Tavierre Thomas from the Houston Texans, but he may not be enough to get the Bucs into the NFC Final. They need one of the players already on the roster to step up and complete the change.
Fortunately, there is one CB who’s ready to make the jump after consistently improving over the past two seasons.
Zyon McCollum will be primed to shine for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024
Joshua Quiepo of Pewter Report believes that Zyon McCollum, the corner the Buccaneers drafted in 2022, is ready to take on a more significant role as a starting-caliber corner for the Buccaneers.
He argued that while McCollum is still far from polished, he showed major improvements last season that suggests he should be ready to get more snaps at corner this season:
The overarching theme that surrounded this improvement came from a much better understanding of the defense and his role within it. Instead of reacting to the players in front of him, you could see McCollum processing the play in its entirety and reacting to what his assignment called for him to do.
You could see McCollum’s improvements in his stats. Last season, the 25-year-old Sam Houston State product made 49 solo tackles, nine pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one tackle for loss.
If this trend continues this season, it won’t be long until we see McCollum make his first career interception and make a push for a Pro Bowl selection.
