Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter have gotten plenty of attention as potential rookie starters for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they might not be the only members of the 2026 draft class with a big role right away.
Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith pointed to fourth-round pick Keionte Scott as another rookie who could have a major impact on Tampa Bay's defense this season. Scott has worked at nickel, safety, and outside corner since joining the Bucs, but the slot appears to be where he has the best chance to make an immediate impact.
The Bucs had five defensive backs on the field for 57.3% of their defensive snaps last season, so winning the nickel role would essentially make Scott another starter alongside Bain and potentially Trotter.
Scott certainly
got plenty of preseason work to prepare for a decent role in the Buccaneers' defense. After wrist surgery kept him from doing much on-field work during the spring, Tampa Bay gave Scott 78 defensive snaps across its three preseason games. That was considerably more than Trotter's 21 snaps and Bain's six, giving Scott an extended opportunity to adjust to the NFL before the games start counting.
“Obviously, in this league, it's more so about what you see and how many times you've seen it,” Scott said. “So, to get those reps has been super helpful for me to just slow things down.”
The Bucs drafted Scott No. 116 overall after seeing enough versatility in his game to believe he could handle multiple spots in the secondary. Scott said he's most comfortable in the slot, followed by safety and then outside corner, but he's preparing himself to be used wherever Bowles needs him.
That could include coming after the quarterback. Bowles has never been shy about sending defensive backs on blitzes, and Scott said that's an area of his game he takes pride in.
“That's definitely something I prioritize in my game, especially being a DB,” Scott said.
Tampa Bay put a lot of resources into fixing its defense this offseason, and its rookie class is right in the middle of that effort. Bain is already listed as a starting outside linebacker, while Trotter has pushed for a starting job at inside linebacker. If Scott can take control of the nickel spot, the Bucs could enter the season relying heavily on three defensive rookies.
That's a lot to ask from one draft class, but it's also an opportunity for Scott to become a much bigger part of Tampa Bay's defensive turnaround than his fourth-round draft status might suggest.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bucs rookie Keionte Scott could be key to defensive turnaround
