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One of the biggest questions surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026 is whether the secondary will be good enough.
The Bucs will be trotting out a group of cornerbacks who are both young and unproven. Zyon McCollum, at 27, is the seasoned veteran of the room. After starting his career looking like a true CB1, McCollum's play drastically fell off in 2025.
After losing their top cornerback, Jamel Dean, in free agency, the Bucs will need McCollum to bounce back.
Joining him are second-year CBs Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison. Parrish was outstanding as a rookie, but is being moved from the slot to playing outside corner. Can he find the same level of success at his new position?
Morrison, on the other hand, lost a significant chunk of his rookie year to hamstring and quad ailments. He missed the last 10 games of his final season at Notre Dame with a serious hip injury that had affected him since high school. Morrison has already been hurt again during Tampa's offseason program. He must prove that, despite his lengthy injury history, the Bucs can count on him to stay on the field.
Parrish was moved to the outside to make way for fourth-round rookie Keionte Scott to take over in the slot. Scott is considered one of the steals of the draft, but must quickly adapt to the NFL.
Luckily for the Bucs' corners, they have one of the best safeties in the NFL playing behind them.
Antoine Winfield Jr. has been one of the most versatile and consistent playmakers in the league for a long time, and ESPN placed him 7th in their ranking of the top-10 safeties in the NFL.
After being hurt for much of 2024, Winfield returned to his Pro Bowl-caliber play last season, and he excelled as Tampa's last line of defense.
"Winfield, a former No. 1 safety, had an injury-riddled 2024 but got back on the Pro Bowl track this past season. He played mostly in a traditional, deep-safety role -- Tampa Bay had deployed him as a slot corner at times in the past -- and produced a 22.9% ball hawk rate (eight pass breakups on 35 targets as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats) along with two interceptions and one sack.
"'He's just so well-rounded and a very consistent player when he's out there,' an AFC exec said. 'Can blitz, cover, rare instincts and always around the ball.'
"Winfield battled lower leg injuries early in the 2025 season but still played 17 games. And Tampa Bay felt he sacrificed last season because playing deep hurt the production he would normally have closer to the line of scrimmage.
"Since 2023, Winfield is one of two NFL players (Buffalo's Terrel Bernard) to record at least five interceptions and five fumble recoveries."
Now another year removed from injuries, Winfield has a chance to be even better in 2026, which will go a long way in making sure the secondary isn't the team's weak link.
It wasn't all that long ago when Winfield was considered possibly the best safety in the entire NFL. Injuries slowed him in 2024, but he was able to rebound in 2025, even though he was not 100%.
Now healthy, he has a shot to prove that he should be ranked much higher than the 7th best safety in the league.
With Winfield patrolling the back of Tampa's defense, he will be able to cover for some of the mistakes the Bucs' young corners are sure to make.
Heading into his 7th season with the Bucs, Winfield remains one of the most vital players on the entire roster.
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Continue reading...
The Bucs will be trotting out a group of cornerbacks who are both young and unproven. Zyon McCollum, at 27, is the seasoned veteran of the room. After starting his career looking like a true CB1, McCollum's play drastically fell off in 2025.
After losing their top cornerback, Jamel Dean, in free agency, the Bucs will need McCollum to bounce back.
Joining him are second-year CBs Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison. Parrish was outstanding as a rookie, but is being moved from the slot to playing outside corner. Can he find the same level of success at his new position?
Morrison, on the other hand, lost a significant chunk of his rookie year to hamstring and quad ailments. He missed the last 10 games of his final season at Notre Dame with a serious hip injury that had affected him since high school. Morrison has already been hurt again during Tampa's offseason program. He must prove that, despite his lengthy injury history, the Bucs can count on him to stay on the field.
Parrish was moved to the outside to make way for fourth-round rookie Keionte Scott to take over in the slot. Scott is considered one of the steals of the draft, but must quickly adapt to the NFL.
Luckily for the Bucs' corners, they have one of the best safeties in the NFL playing behind them.
Antoine Winfield Jr. has been one of the most versatile and consistent playmakers in the league for a long time, and ESPN placed him 7th in their ranking of the top-10 safeties in the NFL.
Winfield Returned To His Pro Bowl-Caliber Play
After being hurt for much of 2024, Winfield returned to his Pro Bowl-caliber play last season, and he excelled as Tampa's last line of defense.
"Winfield, a former No. 1 safety, had an injury-riddled 2024 but got back on the Pro Bowl track this past season. He played mostly in a traditional, deep-safety role -- Tampa Bay had deployed him as a slot corner at times in the past -- and produced a 22.9% ball hawk rate (eight pass breakups on 35 targets as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats) along with two interceptions and one sack.
"'He's just so well-rounded and a very consistent player when he's out there,' an AFC exec said. 'Can blitz, cover, rare instincts and always around the ball.'
"Winfield battled lower leg injuries early in the 2025 season but still played 17 games. And Tampa Bay felt he sacrificed last season because playing deep hurt the production he would normally have closer to the line of scrimmage.
"Since 2023, Winfield is one of two NFL players (Buffalo's Terrel Bernard) to record at least five interceptions and five fumble recoveries."
Now another year removed from injuries, Winfield has a chance to be even better in 2026, which will go a long way in making sure the secondary isn't the team's weak link.
Final Thoughts
It wasn't all that long ago when Winfield was considered possibly the best safety in the entire NFL. Injuries slowed him in 2024, but he was able to rebound in 2025, even though he was not 100%.
Now healthy, he has a shot to prove that he should be ranked much higher than the 7th best safety in the league.
With Winfield patrolling the back of Tampa's defense, he will be able to cover for some of the mistakes the Bucs' young corners are sure to make.
Heading into his 7th season with the Bucs, Winfield remains one of the most vital players on the entire roster.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
