3 New Buccaneers We'll Be Keeping an Eye On During Rookie Minicamp

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to hold rookie minicamp this weekend, and when they do, they'll get a good first look at their draft picks, undrafted free agent signings and tryout players in 2026.

Rookie minicamp is a great time for rookies to learn the playbook and adapt to their new team's coaching style, but it's also our first look at how they perform — and how much better or worse they look than their fellow rookies. There are plenty of names that Buccaneers fans and national pundits will be keeping an eye on, like standout Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., but we have three players in particular we're keeping an eye on when rookie minicamp kicks off on Friday.

CB Keionte Scott, Miami

Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott (0) against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bain is the hot name for the Buccaneers on the defensive side of the ball, and rightfully so, but it's very hard to evaluate players on the offensive and defensive side of the line without pads on. There won't be pads in Tampa Bay until later in training camp, so with that in mind, we're going with another Miami draft pick in nickel corner Keionte Scott.

Scott is set to play nickel corner for the Buccaneers this season, replacing incumbent starter Jacob Parrish. Parrish showed out immediately last offseason from rookie minicamp to training camp, and there was a sense in the building that he'd be an impact player for Tampa Bay — and that's exactly what happened. Now, it's Scott's time to shine, and he'll have plenty of opportunity to make splash plays during rookie minicamp, be it via interceptions or stops behind the line.

Will Scott show promise like Parrish did early? The Buccaneers hope so.

WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State

American Team wide receiver Ted Hurst (7) of Georgia State works in passing drills during American Senior Bowl | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The draw with Hurst, and why the Buccaneers selected him in the third round, is his pure athleticism. Hurst boasted an impressive Relative Athletic Score of 9.90, ranking him 41st among 4,196 receivers measured since 1987.

Ted Hurst was drafted in round 3 with pick 84 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.90 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 41 out of 4196 WR from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/v6G6ikxoWO pic.twitter.com/gMwOfYHN9j
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 25, 2026

Hurst played for a very poor Georgia State team against middling competition, but he showed that he could hang with college football's best after a very strong showing at the Senior Bowl. Hurst could prove Tampa Bay right pretty quickly at rookie minicamp by showing how dominant of an athlete he is, and if he's a notable weapon for rookie minicamp quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Chandler Morris, he could be on the fast track to a much bigger role in Tampa Bay's offense than many think.

Hurst should be the No. 1 option at receiver during rookie minicamp. If he plays like it, he could fill the X archetype for Tampa Bay well in 2026.

QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) runs the football against the Iowa State Cyclones | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Buccaneers liked Daniels enough to invite him on a top 30 visit during the draft process and then subsequently sign him to a UDFA contract. Daniels looked like he was going to be one of the top quarterbacks in college football after a standout season in 2022, but a back injury and then two down years in production lowered his stock significantly.

The Bucs already have a third-string quarterback in Connor Bazelak, who they re-signed at the beginning of the offseason. But Daniels will compete for that job this offseason along with Morris, and if Daniels' scrambling acumen and raw athleticism really shine during rookie minicamp, he could make a play to be Tampa Bay's QB3 in 2026.

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