Keionte Scott's draft slide could make Buccaneers look very smart very quickly

Keionte Scott did not hear his name called until the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, but the early reaction around the former Miami defensive back suggests Tampa Bay may have landed one of the weekend's best values.

Scott went No. 116 overall to the Buccaneers, and draft analyst Dane Brugler singled him out this week as a Day 3 pick who could end up looking like a steal.

Dane Brugler's praise centered around Keionte Scott's Miami film

Brugler pointed to two specific pieces of tape when making the case for Scott. He mentioned Scott's pick-six against Ohio State and his performance against Louisville, then described him as "a corner in a linebacker body" whose draft slide was tied more to fit concerns than to a lack of ability.

Scott finished 2025 with 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five pass breakups. He earned second-team All-ACC honors and became a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist while helping Miami reach the College Football Playoff.

Scott missed Miami's final three regular-season games in 2025 because of a serious right foot injury suffered against Syracuse on Nov. 8. Scott came back for the College Football Playoff opener against Texas A&M.

Scott ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at Miami's pro day after a season in which he was one of the Hurricanes' most disruptive defenders. He was widely viewed as a likely Day 2 selection before he slid into the fourth round.

Scott started at Snow College, spent three seasons at Auburn and then used his one year at Miami to put himself on the map. Now he heads to Tampa Bay as a potential draft steal and with the kind of defensive role that should give him chances to prove it quickly.

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