The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made some impressive additions to their defense this offseason, filling voids and bolstering depth at just about every level across the entire unit.
But as they look ahead to training camp, there's still one massive question mark looming over the group, and the answer could make or break a critical season for head coach Todd Bowles and his team.
Along the defensive front, the Bucs look formidable on paper after landing the biggest first-round steal in the 2026 NFL Draft (Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.) and signing A'Shawn Robinson to go along with a talented unit that already included Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby. At linebacker, Alex Anzalone was signed in free agency to help alleviate the loss of future Hall of Famer Lavonte David (retired), while a second-round pick was spent on Missouri's Josiah Trotter.
The secondary got a dynamic weapon in Miami's Keionte Scott, who should be a menace around the line of scrimmage with Bowles' exotic blitz packages. If they're both able to stay healthy, the Bucs will have one of the league's best safety tandems in former All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. and underrated stud Tykee Smith.
But there's a big problem lurking at the outside cornerback spot.
The Bucs let Jamel Dean walk in free agency, and while his durability issues were frustrating, he was one of the league's best when healthy last season. His departure leaves Tampa Bay incredibly thin in terms of proven, quality depth at the position, putting tons of pressure on Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison to step up in a huge way in 2026.
McCollum, a fifth-round pick out of Sam Houston State back in 2022, is an elite athlete who delivered a breakout season in 2024, and received a hefty three-year contract extension as a result. But he regressed mightily last season (the final year of his rookie deal), and now that he's making $16 million per season, the Bucs need McCollum to be the player he was two years ago, especially now that Dean is out of the building.
On the other side of the field, the Bucs still have high hopes for Morrison, a second-round pick in 2025 out of Notre Dame, but durability continues to be a huge concern. Morrison's final season with the Fighting Irish was derailed by a hip injury that required surgery, and it cost him the majority of the predraft process. Most analysts agreed that his college tape was first-round caliber when healthy, but the injury concern caused him to fall to the second round. He missed multiple games due to injury as a rookie, and has already missed minicamp practices with another lower-body injury.
With the addition of Scott at the nickel spot, it's possible the Bucs could turn to Jacob Parrish as their other option on the outside. A third-round pick in 2025 out of Kansas State, Parrish was stellar as a rookie while operating mostly from the slot, but despite his smaller frame, Parrish's well-rounded skill set could land him on the outside if Morrison isn't able to stay healthy.
Tampa Bay's pass rush should be much improved this season, which would automatically make life easier for the entire secondary. But they still have to pull their own weight, and right now, there's simply too much doubt surrounding McCollum and Morrison for the Bucs to feel comfortable with their cornerback situation on the outside.
