The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the winners of the 2026 NFL Draft, snagging some highly talented players like former Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, with his great NFL pedigree, in the second round to beef up the inside linebacker corps after Lavonte David's offseason retirement.
But there were intriguing finds after the first two days of home runs, including the selections the Buccaneers made in back to back rounds at the corner back position and defensive tackle, respectively, in the fourth and fifth. The Bucs are bringing in Bain Jr.'s speedy teammate Keionte Scott, as well as another big school standout in Clemson grad DeMonte Capehart.
Notable with both defensive players is that they are known for bringing an edge and being stout against the run, which appears is something Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles must have told Jason Licht and the rest of the crew to prioritize, as far as molding a new defense into how the embattled coach wants his team to play.
The Buccaneers are trying to get nastier against the run
The Buccaneers left a lot of yards on the table last season with poor tackling. Even though they waited until later in the draft to pick a corner after losing No. 1 guy Jamel Dean to the Pittsburgh Steelers, perhaps Bowles feels good about the upgrade the Bucs made by going after Scott, who is already touted as someone who may be ready to start from Day 1 in the NFL.
All the scouting reports on Keionte Scott are very interesting, because they almost paint him as more of a safety or linebacker type player at the cornerback position with how dominant he is as a tackler and even a blitzer off the edge. And the numbers back it up, with Scott having 64 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, which is just insane production from a cornerback.
Meanwhlie, Capehart isn't graded as highly, but he brings a nastiness to the defensive line that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need. Vita Vea is a star and new veteran lineman A'Shawn Robinson is a quality starter, so Capehart, a defensive tackle, suits more of a rotational role.
But those snaps to sell Vea are very valuable, and Capehart does have enough quality to eventually develop into a future starter in Tampa Bay if all goes well. Capehart is a great athlete with highly impressive strength, and while he may never be more than a rotational player, even if he ends up being just that, the power he provides against the run could be exactly what the Bucs need to just be more stout up front for those linebackers to have less pressure on them.
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