The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have found their starting nickel cornerback before the regular season even begins.
Rookie defensive back Keionte Scott has emerged as a legitimate candidate to open Week 1 as Tampa Bay’s starting slot defender. According to Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI, the fourth-round pick has received significant opportunities to compete for the position.
Melo believes Scott has put himself in position to win the job.
“Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie defensive back Keionte Scott possesses an excellent opportunity to open the regular season as the defense’s starting nickelback,” Melo wrote. “Jacob Parrish was seemingly his biggest competitor, but had been listed as the starting outside corner on the unofficial depth chart.”
That development changes the complexion of Tampa Bay’s competition at cornerback.
Keionte Scott Has a Clear Path to Starting
Jacob Parrish appeared to be Scott’s primary competition for the nickel role throughout the offseason.
However, Parrish being listed as an outside cornerback creates another possibility. Instead of directly competing with Scott, Parrish could remain outside while Scott takes over in the slot.
That leaves Benjamin Morrison as the biggest obstacle standing between Scott and a starting role.
Morrison entered the NFL as a second-round pick and possesses significant talent when healthy. The problem is that staying healthy has been a major issue throughout his football career.
Injuries contributed to Morrison falling out of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. His rookie season did little to alleviate those concerns, as he struggled to remain available consistently.
That trend continued into his second season.
Morrison missed much of the preseason, giving Scott additional opportunities to establish himself within the defense. Those opportunities appear to have helped the rookie make a compelling case.
Scott Could Give Tampa Bay More Stability
There is also a practical reason Scott could have an advantage in this competition.
If Morrison wins the job, Tampa Bay could move Parrish into the slot. Parrish has experience there after starting in the nickel role last season, so the move would not necessarily be problematic.
Still, it creates another adjustment for the defense.
If Scott wins the job, the Buccaneers can keep Parrish outside and allow Scott to simply take over at nickel. That would minimize movement across the secondary while giving the rookie a defined responsibility.
For a defense entering a new season, stability can be valuable.
Scott does not need Tampa Bay to completely rearrange its cornerback alignment. He simply needs to step into the slot and perform.
That combination of opportunity, health, versatility and preseason production could ultimately give him the edge.
Scott Has Already Shown Value
Scott’s draft position makes his emergence even more encouraging for Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers selected him 116th overall in the fourth round after he spent his first three collegiate seasons at Auburn. Nagging injuries limited his opportunities there, and he never consistently established himself in a significant starting role.
Scott transferred to Miami for his final collegiate season and immediately made a bigger impact.
He played an important role during the Hurricanes’ run to the National Championship, demonstrating that he could handle a larger workload against elite competition.
Scott finished his college career with 1,293 slot snaps and another 800 snaps at safety. His limited experience as a full-time starter, questions about his NFL position and injury history contributed to his fourth-round selection.
So far, however, Tampa Bay appears to be getting significant value from that investment.
Scott played 78 preseason snaps and finished with four tackles and three run stops. Pro Football Focus gave him a 69.9 overall grade, which qualifies as an above-average mark.
His 69.3 coverage grade was particularly encouraging for a player competing to become Tampa Bay’s primary nickel defender.
The Buccaneers still have time to make their final decision, but Scott has put himself in a strong position. If Tampa Bay wants to avoid unnecessary movement in its secondary, the rookie may be the simplest answer.
And after being selected 116th overall, Scott could be on the verge of becoming one of the more important contributors from Tampa Bay’s 2026 draft class.
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