The Detroit Lions trade deadline conversation keeps coming back to cornerback. A lot of Lions fans have their eyes on three names in particular: Zyon McCollum of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Riq Woolen of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Kristian Fulton of the Kansas City Chiefs.

We wanted real answers on all three. Are they available? Are they playing well? What would it cost Detroit to get them?

So we went to the beat writers who cover each team, starting with the one everyone seems to want most. That’s McCollum, and our own Bucs beat writer, Evan Winter, joined us to break it down.

Is Zyon McCollum even available?

Winter didn’t waste any time.

“Yeah, so just flat out no,” Winter said.

The reason is simple. McCollum is playing the best football of his career. Winter asked Bucs coach Todd Bowles about him at his press conference the day after the Dallas Cowboys game. Bowles told him McCollum is playing at an All-Pro level.

The turnaround is a big deal. According to Winter, 2025 was arguably the worst season of McCollum’s career outside of his rookie year. Bowles credited the mental side of the game for the jump. McCollum is understanding splits, formations, and offensive tendencies better, and he’s watching a lot more film.

The production backs it up. McCollum already has as many pass deflections as he had all of last season. He’s never been a big interception guy, and Winter doesn’t expect that to change. That’s OK to a point, though.

“He’s very sticky. He’s really good at disrupting the catch point, and he is just a really smart, athletic player who can play all over the secondary,” Winter said.

I get it. That’s exactly the kind of corner Lions fans would love to see in Detroit.

The problem is Tampa Bay just won its first game. Winter said a team would have to make an offer the Bucs couldn’t refuse right now. Maybe that changes in two weeks, but not today.

What would it cost the Lions?

This is where it gets fun. It’s not a first-round pick. It might not even be a second.

“I do think a third-rounder would move it,” Winter said.

Winter doesn’t think Bucs GM Jason Licht would jump at it instantly. He’d mull it over, mostly because of what’s happening behind McCollum on the depth chart.

Benjamin Morrison has dealt with injuries again this year, both in the offseason and now with a quad injury he suffered in practice a couple of weeks ago, according to Winter.

“If they were to trade [Zyon], it would be Jacob Parrish and Keontae Scott as your starting corners right now,” Winter said.

On the other hand, Tampa Bay would get a big salary off the books and a third-round pick back. Winter pointed out that Licht has been good with third-round picks during his tenure, and he’s never been one to say no to big-picture thinking if it makes sense.

If somebody offered a second, Winter thinks Licht might take it on the spot.

I don’t see the Lions going that high for McCollum. He’s a good corner. I just don’t know if he’s worth a second-round pick. For what it’s worth, our trade simulator has his value at a fourth-round pick.

Could a Bucs fire sale be coming?

Here’s the thing. The only reason McCollum’s name comes up so much is because the Bucs have been bad. Winter and I text about it all the time. Even with the win, it feels like a rebuild could be coming.

Some Lions fans have even floated Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in their trade ideas. Calm down. We both saw that trade graphic. Who says no? Everybody.

Still, Winter isn’t ruling out a shakeup at the end of the year. A midseason deal is far more likely to be a no than a yes, but the offseason is a different story.

Winter expects more of a 7-10 or 6-11 type of season, one where Bowles gets fired and Tampa Bay considers sizable changes to the roster.

If McCollum keeps playing like this, he’s going to have a market. He’s only 27, which only adds to his value if the Bucs decide to reset.

So right now, McCollum is a maybe. A smaller maybe, but a maybe. If it’s a third-round pick, the Lions could probably get it done. We’ll see what happens with a few more weeks until the trade deadline.