A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough question. This week’s prompt: Who will lead the Bucs in interceptions in 2025?

Scott Reynolds: Zyon McCollum Will Once Again Lead The Bucs In Interceptions

Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum made a bold prediction last year. His stated personal goal was collecting six interceptions during the 2024 season. He grabbed his first two interceptions of his career last year, which wound up leading the team along with rookie Tykee Smith. Yet McCollum wound up four picks short of his goal. Now entering a contract year, I think McCollum is poised to double last year’s total and get four interceptions, which should lead the Bucs. Plus, he has the incentive of playing in a contract year going for him. The more interceptions he gets, the more money he’ll likely make.

The last time Tampa Bay had a defensive back produce that many interceptions it was cornerback Carlton Davis III’s four picks during the 2020 season – and we know how super of a season that was for the Bucs. McCollum is expected to see some time playing outside cornerback on his familiar left side, as he did last year as Davis’ replacement in the starting lineup.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

But head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles has also said that McCollum may be moved inside to the slot to better match up against bigger receivers that play inside. Think Atlanta’s Drake London and Los Angeles’ Puka Nacua – both of whom play outside and inside in their Rams-based offenses. McCollum will have the chance to snare more balls on quick slants when he’s playing inside if he can jump some of those routes this season.

McCollum has good hands, evidenced by corralling 15 interceptions in his five years at Sam Houston State. He just needs to focus more on catching the ball rather than settling for pass breakups. Bowles is imploring his cornerbacks to play tighter coverage at the line of scrimmage and not provide opposing receivers with as much cushion. Tighter coverage, plus McCollum’s 4.33 speed and his three years worth of experience in Bowles’ system should put McCollum in position to snag more picks this season.

Matt Matera: Benjamin Morrison Can Be A Rookie Sensation

Rookie cornerback Benjamin Morrison will need to find his way into Tampa Bay’s starting lineup in the secondary, or at least get opportunities for a lot of playing time, but if he does, he can have a great impact as a ballhawk. And let’s be real, most of the players in the Bucs secondary have a propensity to drop interceptions. So are they all of a sudden going to hold onto the ball? 

The influx of new players like Morrison, who was the team’s second-round pick, and Jacob Parrish, the Bucs’ third-rounder, may push others to turn those pass breakups into interceptions. Morrison has excellent coverage skills and it’s likely that teams will challenge him early on in his NFL career despite the fact that he had nine interceptions in his first two seasons at Notre Dame, including six as a true freshman.

Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Coming away with nine interceptions in college football against good talent, Morrison’s game translates to the NFL level. He would’ve likely been drafted in the first round if not for hip surgery that prematurely ended his junior campaign last year. That’s how talented Morrison is and the Bucs are excited to see him compete with Jamel Dean in training camp for the starting right cornerback position.

Last year, rookie defensive back Tykee Smith tied for the team lead in interceptions along with cornerback Zyon McCollum, so it’s possible for a rookie to do it again on the Bucs. This time Morrison takes the interception crown with nearly a handful of picks.

Bailey Adams: More Snaps, More INTs For Tykee Smith

In his 2024 rookie campaign, Tykee Smith picked off two passes, which tied him with Zyon McCollum for the team lead. One came in the blowout win over Spencer Rattler and the Saints in New Orleans, while the other came against Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders as Smith played some lockdown coverage on Brock Bowers in the red zone.

When the Bucs drafted Smith, there was a bit of an expectation for him to create some takeaways given that he has some ball-hawking tendencies. He finished his college career with a four-interception season at Georgia, after all.

Bucs DB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Well, Smith came right in and had two interceptions and three forced fumbles as a rookie – and he did that while missing four games due to injury. So, a healthy Tykee Smith in 2025 should be able to get his hands on more footballs and repeat as the team leader in interceptions – perhaps with three to five.

The move back to safety from the slot should create some opportunities for Smith to use his high football IQ and outstanding field vision to wreak some havoc. He’ll have some competition in Antoine Winfield Jr., who is another candidate to lead the team in interceptions as he did in 2023 with three. But if Smith can stay healthy and the move to safety leads to more snaps per game as expected, I think he has it in him to get that interception total up in 2025.

Adam Slivon: Antoine Winfield Jr. Will Return To Form — With More INTs

Antoine Winfield Jr., the Bucs’ All-Pro safety, did not have the season neither he nor the Bucs expected after he signed a four-year deal that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history at the time. Winfield played through a foot injury from the start of the season and later a knee injury, struggling and only appearing in nine games. His play suffered as a result, but a healthy year should see him return to form in 2025 as the defense’s top playmaker.

Winfield’s career year in 2023 saw him lead the Bucs in several defensive categories, including interceptions with three. With an improved defense around him this season, less pressure will be on Winfield to play at that superhero level. That should also allow him to be more aggressive on the back end, resulting in more picks for him and the rest of the secondary.

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Compared to previous years, Winfield will have more competition at the top of the team interception leaderboard. Todd Bowles’ defense will have some schematic changes, likely meaning cornerbacks will play more press and be closer to the ball.

The team also drafted a pair of ballhawks in cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Parrish has displayed impressive ball skills through the offseason and made his Tampa Bay debut with a pair of pick-sixes during the team’s rookie mini-camp. At safety, Tykee Smith could look even better this year with the full-time move to strong safety. With that said, I predict Antoine Winfield Jr. will get his hands on the football the most this season.