Buccaneers CB Zyon McCollum Names Two NFL Wideouts He's Impressed With

The Bucs cornerback has played some impressive wideouts, but two in particular caught his eye.

Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Kaevon Merriweather (26) break up Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) catch as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) reacts during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum has seen his fair share of action as a rotational player his first few years, but now, he's set to take a step up in 2024.

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While nothing is explicitly confirmed, McCollum is expected to start (or at least see a lot more action) for the Buccaneers after the departure of cornerback Carlton Davis III in a trade to the Detroit Lions. McCollum has gone against some great receivers during his time in Tampa Bay, but on BucsGameday's Hear the Cannons podcast, he picked two that he remembers being particularly toughest to play against.

His first pick is a player he hasn't ever played against in an NFL game, but one he matched up with in joint practice — Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill, who has been vaunted for his intense speed and excellent route running ever since he came into the league.

"That was probably my first big one," McCollum recalled. "Just seeing Tyreek Hill in one-on-ones was like, I grew up seeing this guy on TV, I'm in college, he's on my fantasy team last year... so it was just really, really surreal."

There wasn't much time to reminisce on it, though. McCollum noted that once he saw Hill play, he made sure to focus on doing his best to stop him during drills.

"And then seeing that type of speed, and it was a really big moment in terms of like, okay, this is real," McCollum said. "I better lock in or I'm going to be looking stupid out here."

His second pick, however, was a wideout he played against in a game, and it may be one that not a lot of people would expect. McCollum faced off against the Houston Texans during the 2023 season in a heartbreaking 39-37 loss, and he got to go up against one of their young receivers in Tank Dell.

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McCollum was particularly impressed with Dell's route running skills, which is a good match for his lethal speed.

"In-game, the player that probably surprised me the most was probably Tank Dell," McCollum said. "I knew he was fast, but the way that he can run his routes, and he's really, really savvy and deceptive, the way he does it. I hate to say that it was a shock, but it was like, yeah, okay, this guy can play."

McCollum won't be running into Tank Dell again in 2024, but he will get a repeat of his rookie year when the Miami Dolphins come to Tampa Bay for a joint training camp session in the preseason. He'll get a reunion with Tyreek Hill there, and now, he'll have some experience under his belt.

Check out BucsGameday's full interview with McCollum below:

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