Bucs rookie cornerback Zyon McCollum has proven that he has the physical gifts to be a superstar in the NFL. He posted eye popping measurables at the NFL Combine in March.

Despite the athletic tools and strong tape, McCollum still ended up falling to the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Why? A lot of it is due to the level of competition McCollum faced at Sam Houston as a part of the FBS.

And now that McCollum is in his first NFL training camp, he is seeing a jump in competition up close and personal. Pewter Report’s J.C. Allen caught up with McCollum at training camp on Wednesday. Here is what McCollum had to say when asked what the biggest transition to the pros has been.

“Just understanding the game,” McCollum said. “Knowing where I need to be, when to be there and not just understanding my job but the people around me. And then the game speed for sure. I mean these are serious high-class quarterbacks, and balls are on time. So, you really can’t miss a step.”

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo courtesy of Sam Houston

McCollum also spoke about facing the Bucs vaunted wide receiver core in camp each day.

“It’s been fun. [Head coach Todd] Bowles tells us and a lot of the other guys, we’re not going to see better competition than what’s already out here on the practice field,” McCollum said. “So, just learning anything I can from them. Whether it’s how to step, how to fight through in this certain situation. It’s been great and I look forward to going up against other competition.”

Facing that level of competition is forcing McCollum to identify and develop additional areas of his game. Specifically, he mentioned hand usage as something he is focusing on.

“Definitely getting my hands active at the line of scrimmage, and then just flipping and turning to the ball,” McCollum said. “I can be really good in on phase, but I just need to snap my head back and start making plays on the ball.”

This makes sense. In my draft research, McCollum’s hands showed up as the biggest concern I had in his evaluation.

2022 Draft Big Board – Google Sheets

You can see it in some of the press looks he had on the “Grinding the Tape” article I did on him post-draft. McCollum did have 13 interceptions in college, and bounced back from a rough Tuesday practice. The rookie cornerback broke up three passes and should have had an interception on Wednesday.

It is encouraging to see McCollum identify the areas of improvement so early in his NFL career. If he can become better in these areas while adjusting to the speed and competition at this level, the sky is the limit for this young and uber-talented player.