Swan, 24, said leadership runs deeper within the playing list than many outsiders believe, and that coach Mick Malthouse has a range of possibilities to choose from this pre-season.
"People might not think there's a lot of people that could captain us, but there is," Swan said, after receiving his first Copeland Trophy on Friday night.
"I have no idea [who'll be next]. You're not going to replace a Buckley or a Burns; they're probably the two best leaders Collingwood has had in the past 20 or 30 years.
"In saying that, it gives an opportunity for someone else to step up.
"Who it is, I've no idea. You would think the front runners would be Josh Fraser and Nick Maxwell, because they were the two deputies this year, so would think they would be the next two in line.
"But if Mick thinks Pendlebury is ready, why not give it to him? Travis Cloke, if he wants it, key forwards pretty much control the game so if he wants to step up, he could do it.
"There's a host of numbers but Mick will probably wait until the pre-season to see who puts their hands up.
"Why can't Anthony Rocca have it for a year or two and then hand it onto Scott Pendlebury in two years time when he's become an elite midfielder?
"Or Shane O'Bree, who not a lot of people give much credit to, but he's unbelievable behind the scenes with us."
Swan said Collingwood's leadership will be a group affair next year, rather than the figurehead style Nathan Buckley and Scott Burns have favoured in recent times.
"I think the leadership group is pretty even, so whoever captains us won't be standing alone, up there barking orders at everyone," he said.
"I think whoever captains us will take a lot of feedback and direction from the leadership group, which I think is the right way to do it."
Swan will nominate for the leadership group next year, after being "in and out of it" throughout his seven-year career.
"I'm going to put my name up and try and be a leader this year," he said.
"My theory is, you need to have runs on the board to be a leader and I've had two reasonably consistent years, so I think it's about time that I stopped being insular and close to my good friends, and stepped outside my comfort zone.
"I'll try and be a leader of the club, so if Mick wants to go that way and name me as one of the leaders of the club, or put me in the leadership group, I'll put my hand up.
"Whether or not it goes one step forward is something I'll have to consider."
