Buccaneers may have found another late-round draft gem before the pads even come on

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had one of the best 2026 NFL Draft classes of any team.

The draft started with a bang when Rueben Bain Jr., widely forecasted as a top-10 pick, fell right into the Bucs’ laps at No. 15 overall. 

Bain wasn’t the only Bucs steal during draft weekend, and it’s actually his college teammate, cornerback Keionte Scott, that is generating buzz as the biggest steal of the entire draft. 

Buccaneers landing Keionte Scott was the biggest steal of 2026 NFL Draft

Sports Illustrated’s NFL Draft expert Justin Melo re-ranked the 10 best sleeper picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Coming in at No. 1 was Keionte Scott, who fell to the Bucs at No. 116 in the fourth round despite being almost universally projected as a second or third-round pick. 

“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got our biggest steal on draft weekend by landing Keionte Scott at No. 116 overall. The undersized defender plays with a rare sense of urgency. Scott combines a fiery approach with a high football IQ and positional versatility. The former Miami Hurricanes standout can play a variety of roles and he'll get along great with Todd Bowles. When playing the nickel, he triggers downhill with intensity and can also blitz the quarterback from those positions.

Not only was Scott a tremendous value, but he fits Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme like a glove. 

His 5.0 sacks and 17 quarterback pressures both led all cornerbacks in college football. Scott was born to blitz and live in opponent’s backfields, and Bowles knows just how to utilize a player with his skillset. 

Scott’s 90.5 Pro Football Focus grade ranked third out of 896 qualifying cornerbacks last season, and his 91.4 run defense grade ranked second in the nation. 

But while his greatest strengths lie in blitzing and run defense, Scott is no slouch in coverage. He recorded five passes defensed and two interceptions last season, both returned for touchdowns.

Jacob Parrish was Tampa Bay’s starting nickel corner last season, but he’s now competing with Benjamin Morrison for the starting outside cornerback job.

With Morrison already battling injuries this offseason, Parrish is the leader in the clubhouse to take over as the starting outside cornerback. 

That leaves the door wide open for Scott to earn a starting role as a rookie as the team’s starting nickel cornerback. Bowles is one of the most blitz-heavy defensive coaches in the NFL, and he really values versatility in his defensive backs. 

Scott and Bowles are a match made in football heaven, and all signs point to an incredible rookie season.

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