The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter the 2026 season with a new-look defense following an aggressive offseason aimed at revamping the unit.
The front office utilized both free agency and the NFL Draft to add playmakers while injecting new energy and bringing a new attitude to a defense that struggled throughout the 2025 season.
There will be a handful of new starters lining up for Todd Bowles’ defense in 2026, but perhaps none will be more impactful than rookie fourth-round pick Keionte Scott.
Buccaneers rookie Keionte Scott could be Todd Bowles’ ultimate chess piece
Keionte Scott was built in a lab to play in Bowles’ defensive system.
Bowles values one trait above all else in his defensive backs: versatility. Scott offers it in spades, and the Bucs head coach is already taking notice.
"He played corner, he played nickel, and he played safety… It really helps him learn the defense moving around playing different spots, so his mind is outstanding. So we just look for him to keep getting better."Todd Bowles
In college, he similarly moved around the formation, lining up in the box, in the slot, at deep safety, and even at outside cornerback.
That versatility resulted in a dominant season, as Pro Football Focus ranked Scott as the nation’s No. 3 cornerback while he earned the second-highest run defense grade in college football.
Scott has been referred to as a linebacker in a defensive back’s body due to his physical downhill playing style that’s rare at the cornerback position.
That skill set and physicality translated to elite production: In his final season at Miami, Scott led all defensive backs in both pressures and sacks. That’s music to the ears of a defensive play caller who loves to blitz as much as Bowles does.
Scott joins a defensive backfield that already features Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, and Jacob Parrish — all of whom are effective as blitzers and shine when attacking the line of scrimmage.
The versatility of that group gives Bowles the ability to move them all over the formation to create chaos for opposing offenses. Having multiple players who can line up in different spots and force opposing quarterbacks to identify them before the snap will make Tampa Bay one of the most frustrating defenses to game plan for throughout the season.
Scott may be a rookie, but his skill set fits right into Tampa Bay’s defensive identity, and he landed with a head coach who knows exactly how to utilize his strengths.
If Scott can quickly adjust to the NFL level, he could become one of the most important pieces in the Buccaneers’ new-look defense, and even catapult himself into Rookie of the Year conversations.
Add us as a preferred source on Google