It seemed like just plain old gold luck when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed Miami cornerback Keionte Scott in the 4th round (No. 116 overall) of the 2026 NFL draft. It seemed, if you want to go that far, too good to be true.
It may have been just that.
Scott showed up at minicamp on Friday with some surprising injury news, and a clues as to why he dropped to the 4th round.
“Bucs rookie DB Keionte Scott from Miami arrived in a cast on his left arm after having a plate removed from his wrist,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Friday. “He had surgery before the NFL scouting combine. The cast comes off in 10 days.”
You know what wasn’t on any of the NFL scouting reports before the draft? Anything about Scott having surgery — and it puts a dent in plans for the Buccaneers to get a head start on a player who they probably want to provide valuable depth in the secondary and on special teams.
Pre-Draft Looks Pinched Scott for Age & Size
Scott already had a couple of things working against him before the draft that likely impacted his stock.
He didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine (we know why now), although he reportedly ran in the 4.30s at Miami’s Pro Day, where the timing can always be a little shaky.
There’s also his size — he’s perfectly built for a nickel cornerback at 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, but tends to play more like a Will linebacker.
Finally, there’s his age. Scott will be a 25-year-old rookie after playing 6 seasons of college football at Snow College, Auburn, then finally 1 season at Miami in 2025, as he helped lead the Hurricanes to a national runner-up finish and was named All-ACC.
“Scott’s play style and tackle production resemble that of a Will linebacker,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He’s edgy and urgent near the line with an ability to slip or play off of blocks. He can snuff out run plays before they get started. Scott lacks ball production due to inconsistent break anticipation and route squeeze, but he can twitch-and-trigger to close windows, wrap and finish. He keeps yards after contact to a minimum. Scott’s blitz talent off the edge makes him a value-added rusher. He’s an older prospect and needs to play in a scheme that allows him to keep his eyes forward, but Scott’s football character should make him a team favorite as a starting nickelback.”
Where Scott Lands on Depth Chart for Buccaneers
Scott was already being penciled in as the backup nickelback behind 2nd year star Jacob Parrish, who was 1 of 2 rookies for the Buccaneers to make the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2025 alongside 1st round pick and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
How his injury might impact that projection remains to be seen.
“Scott has a similar frame and playing style to Jalen Pitre,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “When Pitre entered the league, there were concerns about his ability to play close to the line of scrimmage. He’s developed into one of the best nickel backs in the league and started 57 games in his first four seasons.”
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