Buccaneers Select Miami CB Keionte Scott With Pick No. 116

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get their cornerback, and it's a teammate of their first-round pick, Rueben Bain.

Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott (0) reacts in the first half during the College Football Playoff National Championship | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have needed a cornerback to add to the room after the departure of Jamel Dean in free agency, and now, they have one in Keionte Scott.

The Buccaneers selected Scott, out of Miami, with the No. 116 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Scott joins his teammate, edge rusher Rueben Bain, in going to Tampa Bay, and the Bucs fill an important need at cornerback. He's set to join Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison in Tampa Bay's cornerback room this upcoming season.

Scott is an extremely physical corner, wrapping up his tackles nicely and blitzing effectively — he had five sacks last year for the Hurricanes. He's not bad as a coverage defender, either, with how quick his feet are, and he had two interceptions last year — both were pick-sixes.

Like any prospect, though, especially one in the fourth round, there are some things to be concerned about. Scott can have some trouble with more complex routes, and although he's a strong blitzer, he can get a bit too giddy and overrun the ball carrier at times.

The Buccaneers could certainly use a lot of help with their pass defense. Tampa Bay’s defense ranked 28th last year in yards per pass (7.6) and 27th in pass yards per game (238.2). Edge rushing prowess would certainly help out with that, but Tampa Bay’s secondary was often injured last year and played inconsistently when they were healthy. With McCollum and Morrison playing up-and-down football last year, the Bucs may be looking for Scott to inject some energy into the room and help the secondary lock down the passing game.

The Buccaneers pick next in the fifth round, where they have two picks — their original pick 155, and pick 160, which they acquired in the third round from the Green Bay Packers.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.