Trade! Bucs Move Up For A Corner
April 30th, 2022
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum.
So the Bucs have a new cornerback as a result of trading up to the No. 157th pick (third pick in the fifth round) and snagged San Houston State corner Zyon McCollum.
In his roundup of McCollum for his “The Beast” draft guide, Dane Brugler The Athletic describes McCollum as an elite defender ready-made to be a gunner on the NFL level. He is 6-2 and ran a 4.3 40 yar dash. He led Division I-AA power Sam Houston State in picks in four of his five seasons in college.
SUMMARY: A five-year starter at Sam Houston State, McCollum played primarily outside in defensive coordinator Clayton Carlin’s man-heavy scheme, seeing snaps at cornerback and safety. He helped the Bearkats win the 2020 FCS national championship and will go down as one of the most prolific defenders in school history, finishing No. 9 all time in the FCS with 54 career passes defended. McCollum has a rare résumé with his testing athleticism and ball-hawking production (led the team in interceptions four of his five years in college), albeit at the FCS level. Although he will lose phase at times, he is a confident man-to-man corner with the recovery skills to get back into position and disrupt the catch point. Overall, McCollum faces a learning curve as he adapts his timing and technique to NFL speed, but his athletic traits and mental processing ability make him an attractive developmental prospect. He is an NFL-ready gunner with versatile starting upside on defense.
Another thing that Joe liked about Brugler’s breakdown is that he notes McCollum is extremely coachable.
The first thought Joe had when he read McCollum’s bio is “return man.”
McCollum also has experience as a safety.
April 30th, 2022 at 2:57 pm
DRAFT IS SAVED!!!!
April 30th, 2022 at 2:58 pm
It’s interesting to note that so far this draft has hit almost every weakness or “wish list” the team has.
April 30th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Nice!!!!!
April 30th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Rod lol!
April 30th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Love this pickup. Many saw him as 3rd rounder on some boards. Very raw.
April 30th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
First player since 1987 with a perfect 10 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score.
April 30th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Outstanding pick. Licht knows trades.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:01 pm
There’s your corner, you bunch of whiners!!!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:01 pm
Great pick. I wanted this CB with our pick #133…
April 30th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
YES!!!!!
This guy is a gamer. Great speed, good height, ball hawk. No idea why he lasted so long. Would have been a good pick in the 2nd.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Ha, good one Rod
April 30th, 2022 at 3:04 pm
That pick definitely made up for the punter.
Nice depth piece. I was thinking bucs would take with first pick of 4th round
Kid can tackle
Kid can play special teams too
April 30th, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Highlight tape is really good, looks really fast and quick – although it can be misleading since the competition level is so low.
As for being a returner… on that first INT, he’s returning it, then near the goal line he has a clear lane inside that gives him the TD, and instead he just sort of runs forward. Only one play, but that didn’t look like a natural returner to me. Not a downside by any means, only saying as a returner that might not work. But again, just one play.
Everything else he looks good. He’s quick AND fast, appears to have long arms, which would mean he could be a ball hawk, and, as they stated, he could be a special teams player early on while he learns.
He’s a 5th rounder so the chances of him doing much aren’t all that great, but the Bucs did trade a future 4th for this pick, so he’ll get every chance to make the team.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Kind of surprising we gave up what will almost certainly be a late 4th for early 5th and a 7th. If they think they found a gem seems easily worth it. Almost same value for a future pick
April 30th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
By far the weirdest draft in a while, good or bad I’m not ranking it but it was just an odd draft. Please get a receiver for competition at the back of the roster. Looks like we hit on our needs
April 30th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Rod Munch actually he was seen on some boards as a 3rd rounder based on his raw athleticism. We shall see. I am surprised he felll all the way to the 5th round.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:07 pm
Thank you football gods, n Licht of course, I would’ve been fine drafting him at the top of the 4th
April 30th, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Best Day 3 pick, so far…
April 30th, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Now this kid is an absolute FREAK. Max 99 athleticism score.
#1 CB score at combine
April 30th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
I’d imagine our 3 7ths will be pure special teamers.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
Excellent pick, had to add some more speed on special teams and start grooming a corner for the future. Also needed some depth beyond Logan Ryan. Cockrell is decent but he got roasted quite a few times last year as well by some of the faster wide receivers.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Thank the MAN above. We drafted a freaking corner. This may end up being a solid draft. All the picks so far have been needs. My only issue is that most were from small schools and for the most part quiet names. McCollums tape reminded me of SMB’s tape coming out. SMB had ball skills, speed, anticipation, and was a decent tackler in looking at his tape post draft. This kid is similar. Hopefully he’s more consistent. Go BUCS!!!!!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:10 pm
NOT too shabby…
April 30th, 2022 at 3:11 pm
Laugh now Rod and James but no doubt this 5th round corner out of the powerhouse program of Sam Houston State will basically be on par in 2022 with Deon Sanders in his prime! Lol. I do like maybe being a return man though.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:12 pm
smb is slapping his knee and laughing at the tv set right now
April 30th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
Mccullom has a perfect RAS (Relative Athletic Score). The best out of all corners in this year’s draft.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
Here is another scout evaluation (84th overall):
A 5 year starter & 2 time team captain , even at a small school is rare, but you would think after 5 years he would be better at finding the ball down the field. There can be only one comp for a tall, lean , explosive, fast corner who leaps out of the building, but can’t find the ball at the catch point.- Byron Jones. Even after the workout greatness, and the tape full of flashes of greatness, he also frustrated me enough to want to put him in the 4th. The tape was good, but he should have dominated by year 5 right? The Jones comparison is what made me bump him up to the later 3rd. As Jim said to Dwight in the penultimate episode of the office “It’s uncanny” . Sometimes you see a guy and the comparison just instantly pops into your head, but I wasn’t going to use Jones because he played at higher level comp in college, literally broke the world record for the broad jump at the combine, and was a first round pick, Jones rarely got out physicaled , and it just seemed too high of a comp for a guy I am iffy about. I see him as more of a developmental corner that needs at least a year before he is ready for the base defense in meaningful play times, and think he will drafted ahead of multiple corners that he shouldn’t. At least he will help out on special teams as a rookie. In the end I relented , because this is not just a team captain, but a guy who stayed at Sam Houston state so he could play with his brother. Combine that with his willingness in run support & good feet , and he seems like the kind of guy who will keep working to get better. Just remember the later I rank someone the less chance I believe they will reach that comp. Maybe NFL coaching and no school to worry about flips that switch if you draft him prepare for the face guarding & panicky late PI penalties. He looks really smart when its in front of him, and I would like to try him out at free safety personally. He has played safety some in the past , and he brings it like safety against the run, but he would have to become a better form tackler there. A guy with this size , speed , and ball production with would have to fail miserably to be moved off the corner position. If he can learn to use his hands better in press, stop trying to jump so many routes, smooth out his pedal , and find the ball after his back has been turned he could end up a Pro Bowler like Jones.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
yeah like why not just bring chris wilcox back in the building for fun and games 🙂
April 30th, 2022 at 3:14 pm
I doubt a 5th rounder is going to take a job away from even our mostly sorry corners, but it looks like he’s going to make one hell of a special teamer.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:14 pm
I like the highlights. Sounds like there is about 47 people at those games, haha. And is it just me or can anybody else not make out more than half the words of that lead in music?
April 30th, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Finally someone able to cover Darden
April 30th, 2022 at 3:17 pm
Excellent Pick!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:17 pm
heh heh heh..grin
April 30th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
It’s hard to project kids like this that play at D2 schools where they can dominate just purely on physical skills, but his tape looked great.
BUT I always think of…
Larry Brackins, WR
Pearl River Community College
5th round, Buccaneers, 2005
6′ 4″, 205 lbs, ran a 4.5 (BIG and fast for his size in 2005)
————
Brackins, a 6-foot-4 multi-sport star at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi who was drafted in the fifth round, is both the most unknown and most intriguing player in the team’s 12-member draft class.
“It didn’t matter to me what round I went in, as long as I went,” said Brackins, who caught 101 passes for 1,886 yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons at Pearl River.
Brackins was the second-tallest receiver in this year’s draft, a quarter of an inch shorter than Lions first-rounder Mike Williams of Tampa.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Need replace Gabbert.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
Got one back. Really like the pick. Can use all the CB depth there is.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Rod Munch Says:
April 30th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
It’s hard to project kids like this that play at D2 schools where they can dominate just purely on physical skills,
Or Christian Watson, WR, this year.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
BTW, not saying this kid will be a bust by comparing to Brackins, it’s just that he was 5th rounder, this is a 5th rounder, size and speed are the big traits. Brackins however was coming from Junior college, no D2, and a community college at that. Who even know they played football at community college?
April 30th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
actually this kid looks pretty nice…
i don’t know much about him other than we picked a punter before him…
good length and his tape is a nice watch
April 30th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
Love this pick. I think this young man will end up starting for us , for years to come.
It may take him a year, but I am really happy about this pick!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:21 pm
This is our best pick based on value at the place he was picked… We traded next year’s 4th (which is more like a 5th anyway, since it will be #32 😁)… Totally worth it.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:22 pm
our draft is in the B range at this point…
B to B-
not B to B+
April 30th, 2022 at 3:22 pm
geno711 Says:
April 30th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
Rod Munch Says:
April 30th, 2022 at 3:18 pm
It’s hard to project kids like this that play at D2 schools where they can dominate just purely on physical skills,
Or Christian Watson, WR, this year.
—————-
Yeah, I agree, I didn’t personally want Watson, in particular since that name has already been ruined here with the awful Justin W—–. In fact, if you type out his name, the former Bucs WR, you get instantly blocked – give it a try, not kidding. That how bad Justin W was.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:23 pm
Imagine having a tough day at WR playing against San Houston State only to find out in the spring you were matched up with an NFL DB.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:25 pm
“you would think after 5 years he would be better at finding the ball down the field”
He had four seasons with 3 interceptions apiece and 13 ints total. What does this scout want?
April 30th, 2022 at 3:26 pm
Like the pick as insurance/chance to grow against injuries and if Bucs don’t re-sign both SMB and Dean after next year.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:27 pm
WOW, this kids RAS score is amazing…
“Zyon McCollum was drafted with pick 157 of round 5 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 10 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 2001 CB from 1987 to 2022.” Checkout, @MathBomb on Twitter, he’s a very good follow if you like this stuff.
He got a 10 out of 10.
This just measures his physical traits, not his play, and he’s the best combo of size and speed they’ve ever measured for a corner. That’s truly impressive. Makes me wonder why he lasted to this point.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:28 pm
I thought we’d be interested in him or Woolen. Glad we got one of them. Both have the makings of elite gunners on ST.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:29 pm
Rod. Tariq Woolen is 6’4 and ran 4.26 and widn much longer arms. Pretty sure he’s a tad more impressive.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Bucs are going heavy on guys with amazing RAS scores. Our RB was like the 5th best RAS ever recorded for a RB, now this guy is the TOP guy ever in their rankings.
On his compariables, the #2 name listed is Lattimore. Reavis is the #4 name listed on the comparable.
Man, why did this guy fall if his physical skills are this great and he was productive, even if was D2?
April 30th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
It’s worth noting he went to the same high school as Mike Evans. Do they know each other, since Evans does a lot of charity work in Galveston…
April 30th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Rod Munch most boards had him as a 3rd rounder. If he can’t beat cockrell or delaney i will be surprised. Kid has all the athletic traits.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:33 pm
My office mate at work’s son is very high up in the UTSA program. I’ll be asking him for a detailed Scouting report.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:33 pm
Hey now! Me like.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:34 pm
Nice note Cobra!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Someone mentioned byron jones. This kid reminds me actually of another corner not so long ago. Antonio Cromartie. Same height. Speed. I think this kid is more athletic.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:36 pm
If he has high scores he should of made more noise with his football, not liking that disconnect
April 30th, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Brandon – I looked it up, Tariq Woolen has a 9.70/10.
His weakness is his bench, with just 12 reps. Also for all his speed (4.26), his shuttle (4.29) and 3-cone (7.1) were below average.
McCollum got 15 on reps bench press., which is average. He ran a 4.33 40, and his shuttle (3.94) and 3-cone (6.48) were elite.
That’s what the number says. Go search it out, just put in the name, add RAS and football, and you should find it for anyone you want to know. It’s just an automated score based on the traits, it doesn’t measure for play.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:42 pm
I like this.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:48 pm
Man, our special teams is finally getting a shot in the arm at the very least!
April 30th, 2022 at 3:50 pm
Woolen is contact shy.
This one I don’t know anything about, but 4.3 is pretty damn fast.
April 30th, 2022 at 3:51 pm
It will be interesting to see what this kid can do once he’s playing at the NFL level. He’s got remarkable physical traits, that’s why it’s so odd he lasted until the 5th. Reading scouting reports and the weaknesses don’t even sound that bad. All of his numbers are elite, not just straight line, but 3-cone, shuttle, the 20-yard split, 10-yard split, and his vertical and broad jump are also both elite.
The only thing he’s less than elite at is his bench press, where he’s average.
That’s just a stunning profile, which makes sense since they’re saying he has the best corner RAS score they’ve ever measured (no, it doesn’t go back to Deon Sanders).
April 30th, 2022 at 3:51 pm
Good pick
April 30th, 2022 at 3:55 pm
Byron Jones problems were ball tracking and rather stiff hips for someone with his athleticism, which is why he was more Safety than CB during his draft. The same can be said about his first years in the NFL. Jones eventually emerged as a quality player, albeit an overpaid one.
April 30th, 2022 at 4:00 pm
He sounds at least as good as Ryan Smith.
April 30th, 2022 at 4:16 pm
Developmental corner who will show his worth as a gunner. Special teams is still a focus I see. Now we just need a developmental WR and a backup LB in the 7th and we can put a bow on this beach.
April 30th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Thank God.. I wish they drafted two DBs.. Just about anyone has to be better than Dean.. omg that guy is out of place almost every play. I really hope this guy is good.. We really need another strong CB , so BAD!
April 30th, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Perhaps another small school JL and company potential pro bowler!!! The speed at corner we surely need!! GO BUCS!!!
April 30th, 2022 at 5:02 pm
I agree with everything V said
April 30th, 2022 at 5:26 pm
This kid is rated as the most athletic cornerback ever. They’ve been keeping tabs since 1987. He’s an athletic freak. Almost a 40 inch vertical and 4.33 speed.
Several sites over the last couple months had him rated as a big time sleeper in the late rounds
LFG!
April 30th, 2022 at 6:06 pm
D2 will always get you drafted in later rounds. History says this pick will prolly not work out in the NFL, but what if it does? What if he is a stud who just needs a chance? There was a QB once, drafted in 6th round, who became the GOAT. I like this pick.
April 30th, 2022 at 6:16 pm
Sure all you armchair GM’s would have made this pick.
Oh, that’s right. You’ve never heard of the kid!
Small minds with uninformed opinions run for Congress.
They don’t draft college football players into the NFL.
May 1st, 2022 at 12:52 am
Nobody knows what draft pick will be great, average
Or a bust in the NFL. NOBODY. 50% of 1st round picks don’t get a 2nd contract. All the bloviating about who will what is ridiculous.
May 1st, 2022 at 1:13 am
Irishmist Says:
April 30th, 2022 at 4:00 pm
He sounds at least as good as Ryan Smith.
——
What the hell is wrong with you? Ryan Smith is literally the worst, most clueless, corner I’ve ever seen. Even Football Outsiders put him and Chris Conte on their worst of the decade teams.
I’m better than Ryan Smith at corner, and so is my 90-year grandfather. In fact if you just put a chair in a random location on the field, that would do a better job stopping receivers than Smith since maybe there is a chance they’d trip on it.