Entering Year Three with the Buccaneers, Bucs' cornerback Zyon McCollum will don the same football threads but will assume a new full-time role in the secondary. McCollum will start opposite incumbent Jamel Dean, and both have what some corners in the NFL do not: Recovery speed to close on receivers. McCollum can carry vertical threats with impressive athleticism, and heading into 2024, the game has slowed down for McCollum.
"Now that it is my third year in the league, I am starting to understand offensive coordinators a lot more and so coming into the game [against the Commanders], knowing what they do simplicity-wise and knowing how they can mix it up, [it] makes it easier for me having a new quarterback that we are going up against," described McCollum.
McCollum prioritized ball drills and working on the JUGS machine to build muscle memory throughout the offseason. With a greater grasp of Todd Bowles' defense and offensive tendencies of opponents to expect in certain scenarios, McCollum has a greater feel for when to take chances in the backfield. On Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs' will face a young dual threat in Washington's Jayden Daniels. Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders' new offensive coordinator, has worked with his fair share of elusive signal-callers and Daniels becomes his next pupil. Daniels has the ability to turn scrambles into game-shifting highlights and is lethal on zone-read concepts. Known for his dangerous speed, processing in the pocket and deep-ball accuracy, the 2023 SEC Offensive Player of the Year will strive to make a mark against the Bucs' defense in Week One.
"I think for him, especially for a rookie quarterback, they are just working timing, so they will do a lot of pat-and-go and he has good timing," noted McCollum. "He has a good deep ball so as a corner, if I can get my hands on a receiver and disrupt that timing, it kind of throws everything off. Unfortunately, he can scramble and make plays with his feet instead of his arm…Definitely something we will have to keep an eye on, especially a guy who can pull it in any situation and our outside linebackers and our edge guys have to be really disciplined."
For Tampa Bay, setting the edge will be critical. If a player over-pursues, that creates a run lane for Daniels to exploit. In his first game of 2024, McCollum will seek to lock down the receiver across the line of scrimmage on Sunday afternoon. The Sam Houston product possesses physicality in coverage, balance while phasing routes and smooth footwork – all of which will come into play against Washington.
