Veteran Rookie Keionte Scott
April 29th, 2026
An interesting dynamic is headed to the Buccaneers’ cornerbacks room.
Joe is sure rookie fourth-round pick Keionte Scott is the guy the Bucs want to win the nickel cornerback job.
Scott has a big personality, is used to being a vocal leader and he turns 25 before opening day. He’ll be alongside second-year corners Jacob Parrish, a very quiet guy, and Benjamin Morrison, the 2025 second-round pick, who will be fighting hard to get on the field. Parrish and Morrison just turned 22 years old.
How will Scott fit in? Zyon McCollum is the old dog among Bucs corners. He turns 27 next week.
Scott sat down on the always unpredictable Nightcap podcast before the draft, where he said he prides himself on being a defensive back capable of playing anywhere, but he admitted to loving the nickel position.
“Ultimately, the slot is just so fun with just how much you’re involved in the defense, whether that be in a run fit or having a pass responsibility so you’re kind of like in both roles,” Scott said.
“For a player like me, it kinds of just keeps me active, as much as I want to move my eyes and be involved, you know, it kind of just keeps me active and I can see things.”
As Joe shared, draft guru Dane Brugler sees Scott as the best-fit draft pick of Rounds 4 through 7 — for all NFL teams.
Joe hopes Scott comes as advertised and is a Day 1 natural nickel the Bucs feel they must have on the field. That would force true competition between McCollum and Morrison for a starting job at outside corner, with Parrish being gifted one based on his strong rookie play. Morrison is not viewed at One Buc Palace as a nickel.
Perhaps a true competition will snap McCollum out of the long funk he was in last season.
April 29th, 2026 at 11:31 am
Hopefully McCollum plays just good enough to get traded…
April 29th, 2026 at 11:35 am
They need to give McCollum that Dean pay cut.
April 29th, 2026 at 11:39 am
McCollum is a perfect example of how Jason Licht pumps up late round draft picks into genius GM finds when in fact they are actually closer to the evaluation the whole college draft evaluation industry had the player ranked .
April 29th, 2026 at 11:41 am
Yes , I hope the nickel spot is Scott’s to lose. That would likely mean Parrish moves to the outside. Presently until proven otherwise both Morrison and McColumn need to be replaced. Morrison has a chance to improve but in my opinion needs to improve drastically over last year. I don’t know if he can but I believe he is going to get the chance. McColumn I think is done, either his confidence is gone or he just doesn’t want to play. I think the Bucs need to bring in another top corner to compete. I believe both Morrison and McColumn should be benched or replaced until proven otherwise. Last year’s secondary play was beyond pathetic.
April 29th, 2026 at 11:44 am
We signed a couple Corners as UDFA
I especially like Ayden Garnes from Arizona U
He ran a 4.37, can really cover, very athletic
I’m looking for someone to replace Josh Hayes
I like Josh, he’s from Lakeland, and Geno is his Uncle
But we are building a dominant defense
April 29th, 2026 at 11:47 am
They restructed Zyon McCollum contract a .month ago
He’s on our books for a few years now
But if he don’t perform this season
I would cut him in a heartbeat, forget trading him
I would make an example of him, you loaf, you get cut
April 29th, 2026 at 11:49 am
“””l meant restructured
April 29th, 2026 at 11:53 am
What I love about this dude is what he said about his mindset during a blitz, how he knows he’s leaving his brothers back there exposed, so he’d better get home or something bad will happen.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes the genus to coach that out of him.
April 29th, 2026 at 11:53 am
Bring in L.Sneed
GO BUCS!!!!
April 29th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
No one should gifted anything parish had his hiccups last season it wasnt all sunshine and rainbows, earn it.
April 29th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
Now Zyon won’t be bored. :/
April 29th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
He gives me a Robert Parrish Tykee Smith Antoine Winfield kind of vibe. That’s good. A secondary full of guys like that would be fine. They could play anywhere in a pinch. But when you’re talking Morrison, or even McCollum, you are looking at corners. Both have the potential to be good. But I am all for signing a vet or two and with these undrafted free agents having both corners jobs being the most hotly contested jobs on our team this summer.
April 29th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
McCollum?? He seems bored according to what our head coach said last year. “He gets bored”. And what did our magnificent head coach who oversaw a 2-7 collapse down the stretch do about it? Apparently nothing. Show some backbone and bench him to get his attention or do something……Bowles is bad. I really hope we win this year, but I have zero confidence we will due to our head coaching situation…. “We gotta coach it better”
April 29th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
I kind of get why Zyon was extended so early. Dude is an amazing athlete and it’s just easy to speculate that once things click for him that he will be a Pro Bowl level CB. However, Zyon is SEVERELY lacking between the ears and watching him play is maddening. My sanity was saved once they benched him at the end of the season bc his ineptitude was driving me nuts. Loafing, half assed tackling, boneheaded missed assignments, you name it. SB nailed it when he said that he hopes Zyon plays just well enough to get traded. I am so done with seeing him not care about doing his friggin job!