The Bucs will need to have likely an elite defense and go on a playoff run for head coach Todd Bowles to save his job after the 2026 season. Bowles is perhaps on the hottest of seats heading into the 2026 season and his defense in particular will need to step its game up after two straight seasons of below average defensive play. The personnel that Tampa Bay has on the defensive side of things heading into the 2026 season will also loom large as well. I have already done an assessment of the front seven of the Bucs heading into the 2026 season and now I will go into detail analyzing the secondary of the team as the season approaches.
Set to start at the first of the two primary cornerback spots is 2022 5th rounder Zyon McCollum who got off to a rocky start to his career but has since blossomed into a strong starter. McCollum graded in the poor range among qualified players at his position in terms of an overall defense grade in each of his first two seasons in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. McCollum however has graded in the above average to well above average range in each of the past two seasons since. McCollum is likely not a star but a solid above average NFL starter.
2024 3rd rounder Tykee Smith is set to start at the strong safety spot and is also a good to a very good but likely not a great starter. Smith in each of his first two seasons in the NFL has graded in the above average to well above average range among players at his position according to Pro Football Focus. Smith still has the chance to improve however as he has yet to put together a full season of snaps and could improve with even more experience.
2020 2nd rounder Antoine Winfield is set to start at the free safety spot and is among the premier defensive backs in the sport when healthy. In 2021 and 2023 he was graded as either the first- or second-best safety in the NFL in each season, while Winfield has consistently been well above average in every other year outside of those two seasons besides one injury riddled campaign. Winfield has made two pro bowls and a first team All-Pro as well.
Set to start at the other primary cornerback spot is 2025 2nd rounder Benjamin Morrison who is coming off an injury riddled disappointing rookie season. Morrison played in only about a third of the team’s snaps and looked poor even when on the field. Morrison however was still taken very highly and has certainly not had enough of a chance to prove himself as of yet. Todd Bowles must still believe in him quite a bit to list him as the starter heading into year 2 although he has not shown much promise on the field.
Set to start at the nickel cornerback spot is 2025 3rd rounder Jacob Parrish who is coming off a very strong rookie season and is in line to become a potential star. Parrish ranked in nearly the top 25% among qualified players at his position in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus. That is very hard to do as a rookie and given his relatively high draft selection and very strong rookie season, he could become a potential star or at least a very good player with regularity.
The Bucs’ starting secondary is electric, elite, and among the premier ones in the NFL but the team does indeed lack depth in their back-end defense. They lack the presence of even one player who I view to be a high-end caliber backup/potential starter although they have a few guys who may end up being that.
In totality, the Bucs have one of the premier starting secondary lineups in the sport today although they currently lack depth. Below you can find a breakdown of the talent they have in their secondary.
2026 Projected Bucs’ Starting Secondary
LCB – Zyon McCollum – B to B-
SS – Tyke Smith – B, 2024 3rd rounder, still could improve
FS – Antoine Winfield – B+ to A-, maybe too lowly graded
RCB – Benjamin Morrison – 2025 2nd rounder, poor as rookie in very limited snaps
NB – Jacob Parrish – B to B+ as rookie, 2025 3rd rounder
2026 Notable Bucs’ Reserve Secondary Players
CB – Josh Hayes – C+ to B-, still improving
