Zyon McCollum isn’t the only Buccaneers cornerback playing at an All-Pro level

Entering the 2026 NFL season, the outside cornerback position was one of the biggest question marks on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster.

Zyon McCollum was coming off an inconsistent 2025 season, and while Jacob Parrish showed plenty of promise during his rookie year at nickel, it remained to be seen how he’d transition to the full-time outside role.

To say McCollum and Parrish have surpassed expectations as a duo would be an understatement. Both are playing lockdown coverage and contributing to a vastly improved Buccaneers defense. It’s not a stretch to say they both deserve All-Pro consideration for their performances so far this season.

Buccaneers have one of the NFL’s best cornerback duos in Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish

Todd Bowles said earlier this season that McCollum is playing at an All-Pro level, and he’s certainly backing up that claim.

McCollum’s eight passes defensed are tied for fourth in the NFL, and he’s locked down some of the league’s elite wide receivers this season. In 10 one-on-one matchups with Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in Week 5, McCollum held him without a single catch in what was perhaps the best game of his career.

He recorded his first interception of the season against the Panthers in Week 7 and also took a blocked extra point back to the house. Those are the kinds of splash plays that could get McCollum on the national radar. 

But he’s not the only Bucs cornerback playing at an All-Pro level. In fact, his counterpart might be playing even better.

Parrish currently ranks as PFF’s 10th-ranked cornerback, and his coverage ranks 11th out of 103 qualifying players. The second-year corner leads the NFL with 11 passes defensed and also has an interception to his name.

As a duo, McCollum and Parrish have proven they can shut down even the best wide receivers in the NFL. They held Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to two catches for 12 yards. They limited Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to two catches for nine yards and held Panthers wideout Tetairoa McMillan to four catches for 40 yards — just the second time all season he’s been held under 80 yards.

Last season, the Buccaneers had the NFL’s 27th-ranked passing defense. This year, they’ve jumped up to 14th, allowing just 217 passing yards per game.

In 2025, Tampa Bay’s defense ranked 19th in total yards surrendered. This year, they’ve climbed  all the way up to No. 3 in yards allowed per game — and they’re one of only four teams allowing less than 300 yards per game. 

The defensive turnaround has been staggering, and the Buccaneers can thank their rising stars at the cornerback position for leading the way.

There’s a long way to go, but if McCollum and Parrish continue to play at this level, they’ll both deserve some legitimate consideration for All-Pro honors.

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