Zyon McCollum Tasked With Taking Next Step In 2023
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.
