The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected defensive back Keionte Scott from Miami with the 116th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Keionte Scott, DB, Miami
HT: 5’11
WT: 192 lbs
Accolades:
- Second-team All-ACCÂ (2025)
- Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP (2025)
Video:
Pros:
- Physicality: Downhill run defender who attacks gaps and closes with urgency and aggression.
- Blitzing Ability: Times edge pressures well; five 2025 sacks reflect skill, not scheme.
- Instincts: Reads quarterbacks in zone, highlighted by a 72-yard pick-six against Ohio State.
- Man Coverage: Loose hips and quick feet allow him to mirror routes cleanly without grabbing.
- Block Taking: Takes on bigger blockers and holds ground at the point of attack.
- Versatility: Logged snaps at outside corner, nickel, and safety, offering alignment flexibility.
- Speed: Track background shows in his burst and closing speed in open space.
- Competitiveness: Returned from a November foot injury and dominated during the CFP run.
Cons:
- Tackling: Missed tackle rate near 20 percent; too often lunges instead of wrapping securely.
- Size/Role Fit: Undersized for boundary work; struggled outside at Auburn in 2024.
- Eye Discipline: Peeks into the backfield and bites on fakes, opening space on double moves.
- Age/Mileage: Turns 25 in August with six college seasons of accumulated wear.
- Coverage Consistency: Allowed roughly a 65 percent completion rate, raising reliability concerns.
- Aggression Control: Plays fast but can get reckless, taking himself out of position on wrong guesses.
Summary:
Scott’s NFL path is clear: he is a nickel corner in a defense that wants its slot player to do more than just cover. The blitzing production translates because the timing, burst, and finishing ability are all on tape. His run defense is the most pro-ready part of his game, and that matters in a league where offenses increasingly attack the slot with power concepts. A coordinator can move him around in sub-packages, send him off the edge, or drop him into underneath zones where his instincts and play speed create problems for quarterbacks working the middle of the field.
The concerns need honest acknowledgment, though. The tackling has to improve. Diving at ball carriers works when you have help, but NFL backs will punish lazy angles. His coverage holds up in the slot where he can use his hands and compete at the line, but lining him up outside against bigger receivers is asking for trouble. The age and mileage are real considerations for teams projecting development, because what you see now is probably close to the finished product.
There is still plenty to like for a defense that values toughness and versatility from its secondary. Scott brings a physical presence most nickel corners do not, and his blitz package gives coordinators an extra dimension to scheme around. His playoff tape showed a player who performs when the stage gets bigger, and that competitive makeup counts. He fits best in a zone-heavy scheme that deploys him creatively as a rusher and in run support while limiting his exposure in man coverage on the boundary.
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