The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made one of the best moves of the 2026 NFL offseason, snagging Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 overall pick in the draft to bolster a pass rush that only had YaYa Diaby and Vita Vea as competent components last season.
Tampa's defense could not stand a chance against the top passing attacks in the league, and the way they were torn apart by Matthew Stafford and even Kirk Cousins in prime time in the second half of the 2026 season really drove home how badly the Bucs needed to beef up on defense.
To nobody's surprised, Bain Jr. was therefore named as one of the perfect draft fits by ESPN's Matt Bowen, but interestingly enough, he wasn't the only player Bowen praised as being an excellent pick up and fit by the Buccaneers.
Rueben Bain Jr.'s teammate was a fantastic pick for Buccaneers
Keionte Scott was actually the latest pick, selected by Bowen as a fourth round defensive back who typifies what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed in the secondary. Bowen has him listed as a safety, though Scott can play as a cornerback or safety, and he can also be the starting nickel corner in a defense that lacks cornerback depth, especially after losing star man Jamel Dean to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A teammate of Scott's for a Miami Hurricanes side that reached the National Championship behind a nasty defense, Scott is one of the best tackling cornerbacks we have seen in ages. And Bowen waxed poetic about Scott's profile and how he fits Todd Bowles's defense:
"I went into Day 3 to write about Scott because he is a chaos creator who can thrive in Bowles' defense as a slot/overhang defender. Tampa Bay had a defensive back blitz rate of 17.8% last season, the highest in the league. Scott had five sacks for Miami in 2025, so he could easily be used as a blitzer in 2026. Plus, he has the tackling range and short-area speed to close on the ball. He's a high-energy defender who found a really good landing spot in Tampa."
It is not usual for a Day 3 rookie to make a massive impact, but it happens frequently when an undervalued player and profile finds the right spot. The Seattle Seahawks did it all the time in the defensive backfield, and Scott is a bit reminiscent of that kind of a player. But he is a totally unique proposition with how he can make tackles, even get after the quarterback, and bring that edge in coverage in tight areas. He's worth getting excited about, too.
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