A to Z Sports' Mike Payton laid out five names Detroit could realistically pivot to, and Buccaneers corner Zyon McCollum topped the list as the player who could offer the most long-term value.
"McCollum could step right into Detroit's secondary and give them a long-term answer opposite D.J. Reed," Payton wrote.
McCollum Stands Out
Payton's full group also included Riley Moss, Donte Jackson, Marlon Humphrey, and Cam Taylor-Britt, and he was careful to note the five represent very different types of moves.
Jackson offers pure veteran experience, Humphrey would be an aggressive win-now swing, and Taylor-Britt could be a cheap change-of-scenery flier.
If the Bucs keep losing I would keep tabs on Zyon McCollum as an alternative with some juice.
— Onyx 🦁 (@YourDudeOnyx) October 1, 2026
If the Pats keep losing we could also see a reunion with Carlton Davis III.
There’s a lot of options out there still and the deadline is over a month away. pic.twitter.com/zFDwHr6sob
McCollum and Moss are the two names Payton considered as actual long-term pieces rather than rentals, and McCollum's situation makes him the more interesting of the two.
He's in the first year of a three-year, $48 million extension he signed with Tampa Bay last offseason, meaning any team trading for him isn't just renting a player for two months, but rather taking on a real multi-year commitment.
Porter was always going to be a short-term rental given his own contract situation in Pittsburgh.
McCollum would let Detroit build something more permanent next to Reed if general manager Brad Holmes is willing to pay both the trade cost and the remaining money on the deal.
Tampa Bay Could Actually Be Willing
The fit depends on Tampa Bay's own season going sideways.
The Buccaneers have opened 0-3, and if that continues, their front office could start looking at veteran contracts as trade chips instead of building blocks.
Payton estimated a realistic return for McCollum at around a third-round pick.
Detroit's need is for real regardless of who it ends up being. The Lions have struggled defending the pass for stretches already this season, and Porter's move to Dallas means that hole is still sitting there unaddressed.
