Todd Bowles didn’t spend Wednesday talking up a splashy pass-rusher or a high-profile linebacker. Instead, the Buccaneers’ head coach pointed to a fourth-round rookie who has quietly forced his way into the conversation as one of Tampa Bay’s most reliable defenders: nickel cornerback Keionte Scott.
Scott, drafted out of Miami in April, has already earned loud praise from Bowles for the way he plays and prepares. Bowles said Scott has been one of the team’s best players this season and singled out the rookie’s tackling, toughness, and attention to detail throughout the week.
“[Scott has] been one of our best players this year. I mean, he doesn't say much.
He's been very solid with his fundamentalist technique, and he tackles way more than he weighs. He tackles almost like a linebacker.
He's a very tough kid, wants to be good, wants to be great, extremely tough, puts in the work during the week. That's what you really like about him.
He really studies and gets it down for Sunday, and he executes well.”
That kind of appraisal stands out on a defense that entered 2026 expecting big things from its rookie class. Tampa Bay used a first-round pick on edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. from Miami and added Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter in the second round.
Bain still hasn’t delivered exactly what the Bucs wanted, while Trotter has looked strong early in the season. Scott, though, may be the rookie who has popped the most.
The numbers back up the eye test. When Scott is on the field, the Bucs defense has posted -0.179 EPA; when he’s off, that number jumps to +0.011.
In other words, Tampa Bay has been better with him out there. Through the season, Scott has logged 24 solo tackles, including one tackle for loss, along with two passes defended.
Scott also made clear what part of his game he values most.
"I think first is the want-to," Scott said. "That's something you can just tell right away about a back, if he wants to stick his head in the fan... I'm one of those guys that's proud to have that in my toolbox, have that in my game - I just wanna get in there."
His role should keep growing as the defense settles in. Next up is a Sunday test against the Steelers at Raymond James Stadium, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
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