Few players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster have more to prove entering mandatory minicamp than cornerback Zyon McCollum. After earning a lucrative contract extension, expectations were high for McCollum as he stepped into a larger role in the Buccaneers’ secondary. Instead, the 2025 season proved to be a turbulent one.
While flashes of his athleticism and playmaking ability remained, inconsistency and struggles in coverage led to a season that fell short of the standards both he and the organization expected.
Now, McCollum enters 2026 facing perhaps the most important season of his career. The stakes are even higher because of how much the cornerback room has changed around him. With several veteran departures over the past two offseasons, McCollum suddenly finds himself as the elder of the group and enters the season as Tampa’s CB1.
The Buccaneers are expected to rely heavily on young cornerbacks this season. Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish, and several other inexperienced defensive backs will be competing for significant roles throughout the summer. As the lone established veteran in the room, McCollum will be expected to provide leadership while helping guide some of the younger players through their development. At his best, McCollum possesses all the physical traits teams treasure at the position. His size, length, speed, and athleticism allow him to match up with virtually any receiver in the league.
Those tools helped convince Tampa Bay that he could become a cornerstone of the secondary, leading them to invest in him long term. The challenge now is turning those traits into consistency.
Mandatory minicamp offers the first meaningful opportunity to see whether McCollum is prepared to bounce back from last year’s disappointment. While it’s important not to overreact to offseason practices, confidence can be a significant factor for cornerbacks, and a strong showing throughout minicamp and training camp could go a long way toward helping him regain the momentum he carried earlier in his career. The Buccaneers have assembled what they hope will be a faster, younger secondary in 2026.
But for that to become reality, McCollum must play like the top cornerback the organization believes he can be. With a new contract, increased responsibility, and a room full of young defensive backs looking to him for leadership, few players will be under a brighter spotlight this summer.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers Mandatory Minicamp player to watch: CB Zyon McCollum
Reporting by Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
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By Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire | USA TODAY Network
