While there are plenty of young players the Bucs would love to see break out and thrive in larger roles in 2023, cornerback Zyon McCollum may be near the top of that list.

During his press conference at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix this week, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked which newcomer to the 2022 team he wanted to see step up in their second season with Tampa Bay. With little hesitation, Bowles named McCollum, the team’s fifth-round pick in the 2022 Draft.

“Aside from everybody, I would like to see Zyon take the next step in the defensive backfield,” Bowles said. “I think he got hurt at the beginning of last year, kind of set him back a little bit. But I look forward to [seeing] him.”

McCollum was a key special teams contributor as a rookie, but he experienced some growing pains at the cornerback position. Being thrown headfirst into the deep end due to injuries, the 23-year-old had to take some lumps. Making the adjustment from Sam Houston to the NFL isn’t an overnight task, and he experienced that in 2022.

Size, Athletic Tools, Opportunity — It’s All There For Zyon McCollum

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Heading into his second offseason in the NFL, Zyon McCollum will have a chance to build on his debut season and assume a larger role in the Bucs’ defense. The team re-signed Jamel Dean this month, so the top pairing of Dean and Carlton Davis III is still in place. But No. 3 corner Sean Murphy-Bunting signed with Tennessee last week, opening up a path for McCollum to potentially be a more regular contributor.

Tampa Bay very well could — and probably should — take advantage of a deep 2023 cornerback class during next month’s draft. But Bowles and the Bucs’ brass like what McCollum has to offer at the NFL level, and they’d love to see one of their Day 3 picks outperform his draft status. He certainly has the profile to do so.

“He’s a great athlete. Before he got nicked up, from an athletic standpoint and a size, height, weight and speed standpoint and intelligence standpoint, you love what the guy brings to the table,” Bowles said. “He’s just got to calm down from a mental standpoint and the game slows down for him. I look for him really be a big piece for us to help us going forward.”

Bowles is right to point out both the size and athleticism McCollum possesses. At 6-foot-2, 199 pounds, he fits the mold for a Bowles cornerback. But if you’ll recall, his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) coming into the draft last year was a perfect 10 out of 10. Out of 2,001 cornerbacks from 1987-2022, that perfect score ranked him No. 1. So, there’s little to doubt in terms of the physical tools the young corner brings to the Tampa Bay defense.

With a season under his belt, McCollum should naturally see the game a little differently in year two, allowing him to adapt mentally and start to put those athletic tools on display more regularly. Having him take the next step could be a major injection of life for Tampa Bay’s defense, which needs to force more turnovers in 2023.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Remember, this is a guy who blossomed into an all-around playmaker at Sam Houston. He started as a freshman and over the course of his five-year career, he totaled 13 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Bowles isn’t the only one who has a lot of belief in the team’s fifth-round pick from a year ago. At the NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Jason Licht had a lot of praise for McCollum and said they’re happy with where he is after his rookie season.

“First of all, Zyon did an incredible job on special teams for us,” Licht said. “He’s learning the position in the NFL, he’s where I thought he would be coming out of his rookie year. We knew it would take some time; it doesn’t happen all the time where you see a late-round pick become a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Kudos to teams that did get that, but I do think he’s got the potential to be a starting corner in the league.”

A more impactful McCollum would really take Tampa Bay’s secondary to a new level over the next few years. Davis is signed for another two seasons, while Dean is back on a four-year deal. So, if there’s a considerable leap in year two from the soon-to-be 24-year-old, the Bucs will really be well positioned at cornerback for the foreseeable future.