Rueben Bain Jr. will be the subject of most of the fanfare surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie class in the coming months. But he wasn't the only Miami defender who fell into Tampa's lap.
The Bucs scooped up cornerback Keionte Scott in the fourth round, much later than he was expected to go. Rookie minicamp is barely in the rear-view mirror, but the mid-round draft steal is already grabbing the attention of the national media.
In a recent article, ESPN's Field Yates listed rookies drafted outside of the first round who could have immediate impacts on their new teams. Scott was one of the first defenders named.
Yates said, "I thought Scott could sneak into Round 2, so the Buccaneers getting him in the middle of Round 4 was extremely good value. The former Miami star should get immediate snaps at nickel, as he is explosive and instinctive. He brings a potent package of vision, ball skills and tackling intensity that translates to the NFL. I loved how Scott showed up during the biggest moments of Miami's run to the CFP National Championship game, which furthers my confidence that he's NFL-ready."
Buccaneers' Keionte Scott could make a bigger impact than expected
Yates wasn't alone in his appreciation of the Miami defender. Scott ranked 63rd on the consensus big board, far above where he was drafted. His fall may have been due to his positional ambiguity. He isn't a traditional cornerback. He rarely lined up as a true outside corner in college, taking most of his snaps as a nickel defender or in the box. But when used correctly, he's a game wrecker.
The Miami defensive back logged 64 tackles in his final collegiate season, 13 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage. When he recognizes the flow of a play, he's quick to trigger on it. Despite playing a "non-premium" position, he was instrumental to the Hurricanes' National Championship run.
While Yates sees him as a nickel defender, Scott could be used in a variety of ways in Tampa Bay. Some even have him as a safety. He'll serve as quality depth across the secondary for the Bucs, able to step in at any moment.
Don't be surprised if he ends up challenging second-year defender Jacob Parrish for the starting nickel job down the line.
General manager Jason Licht was on a heater in the NFL Draft, taking away value at every spot. If Scott gets the opportunity, he could end up looking like one of the best picks Licht made this offseason.
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