Grading the pick: Buccaneers’ first Day 3 selection paves the way toward an all-out battle for a key starting job
The Buccaneers had a huge question mark surrounding the cornerback room heading into the draft and Keionte Scott can provide an answer at nickel. His addition also creates a battle for the starting job opposite Zyon McCollum.
EDGE and linebacker were the biggest talking points for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into the 2026 NFL Draft and it made sense.
One position group had just as many questions surrounding it, yet it wasn’t talked about nearly enough: cornerback.
The Buccaneers lost Jamel Dean in the offseason and McCollum had arguably the worst year of his career in 2025. Add in the facts Benjamin Morrison showed no signs of reliability and the overall depth was scarce and it became clear the Buccaneers needed to make a serious investment at the position.
Well, the Buccaneers did just that by taking former Miami Hurricanes cornerback Keionte Scott. Not only do the Bucs get another fiery player, but Scott’s presence creates a key battle on the outside.
Buccaneers find their nickelback in Keionte Scott
Jacob Parrish showed plenty of promise at nickel last year, but the idea is he’ll now move outside and challenge Benjamin Morrison for the starting spot opposite McCollum. The Buccaneers have always maintained Parrish has the ability to play outside, despite his 5-foot-10 stature.
It’s a good move, as Morrison does not deserve to just be handed the starting job, by any means. It’s also a smart use of resources, as the Buccaneers spent second- and third-round picks in 2025 on Morrison and Parrish, respectively.
But back to Scott: He’s a ready-made nickel who should step in and play from Day 1. A few analysts have labeled him as a linebacker in a cornerback’s body. He has no issue setting the edge and getting physical in the run game and he’s extremely fast at processing what’s going on in front of him.
Combine that with how fast he plays and it’s easy to see why he fits in Todd Bowles’ defense. He’s an attacking nickel, much like Parrish was last year, and his coverage skills are good enough to where he won’t be a big liability early-on.
There is a bit of an injury history to be wary of and Scott needs to refine aspects of his coverage game. Either way, it’s a very good pick that should work out in both the short-and long-term.
And again, an added bonus is the Buccaneers aren’t just overdrafting at the position. Best-case scenario is Parrish and Morrison make each other better and now the Bucs have a solid depth piece in either one of the two that can fill in for injury sake.
He was also projected to be a 2nd-3rd round pick, exemplifying great value at 116. That always helps earn a high grade.
Grade: A
