Keionte Scott wasn't able to be as active a participant in this past weekend's rookie camp because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety had a procedure to remove a plate from his wrist. But that short setback hasn't tempered the excitement surrounding Scott's potential with his new NFL team.
And you can mark down ESPN's Field Yates among those that are high on the impact Scott could have as a rookie. Yates listed the former second-team All-ACC performer among the players from the second and third day of the NFL Draft that he expects to have an immediate impact.
Putting a bow on the 2026 NFL Draft for now with 20 of the players taken on Day 2 or 3 that I believe can contribute immediately for their respective teams: https://t.co/9MJG91p0Ui
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 11, 2026
Yates wrote:
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.
ESPN has Keionte Scott among the best rookies from Day 2/3 of the NFL Draft
As Yates pointed out, Scott had a strong season in Miami with 64 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. His ability to play the nickel and move around the field should fit well with Todd Bowles' scheme and put Scott in position to make impact plays.Â
Scott, who previously played at Auburn and Snow University, had a solid regular season, but it was his efforts during Miami's run in the college football playoffs that put him in a position where many expected him to be picked among the top 75–100 players. He had a pick-six in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, jumping a short pass from Julian Sayin and returning it 72 yards for the score. He was named the defensive MVP of the game and the Hurricanes went on to advance to the CFP championship game.
While Scott wasn't able to do much in rookie camp, the cast on his wrist should be off by next weekend, and he'll be ready for the full training camp and possibly other OTA work if allowed. Scott played a large portion of the season with wrist pain and said if he had to go through the minicamp with it, he would have.
"I'm an old-school guy, so, you know I'll go out there without this hand," Scott said.
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