Jason Licht Gushes Over Keionte Scott
April 30th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Man, Joe hasn’t seen Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht get this excited for a fourth-round draft pick since edge rusher David Walker last year.
Licht hopped on WDAE radio this week (the new 95.7 FM) and shared his excitement for selecting nickel cornerback Keionte Scott in Round 4 on Friday night. It was the first Licht talked publicly about the pick since he sent his henchmen out to handle post-draft news conferences on Friday and Sunday.
(Hey Jason, how bout you handle these key media sessions and give those guys their own day with media. Joe would be happy to attend the Mike Biehl and Rob McCartney media barbecue the weekend after the draft. Team Glazer could serve hot dogs and knishes and these guys could get hours of spotlight and all kinds of interviews. Joe will buy the dessert.)
“I love his passion, the way he plays, the instincts, incredible instincts,” Licht said.
“He’s a pressure player from the nickel position. He knows how to blitz. He’s got good coverage skills, good zone awareness. He’s a hitter. He’s tough. He’s been described by a lot of the people there at [the University of] Miami, along with Rueben [Bain] as the heartbeat of the team. So, the energy that he brings every day is something I think is going to be infectious. Just love all of that stuff about him. He’s a winner, and he’s out to prove to the world that he’s better than the fourth-round pick that he was.”
Joe’s excited by Scott being a likely steal in Round 4. Could he turn out like Jordan Whitehead did as a Bucs fourth-rounder in 2018? Joe would take it.
Whitehead also was a hitter, and he quickly became a starter in the Bucs’ defensive backfield. Whitehead delivered one of the biggest defensive plays in Bucs postseason history in his third season. You can watch it below. Joe still gets chills every time.
Another 3rd down situation — with GB scheming open Aaron Jones on the crosser (pick concept).
Watch the safeties here…
Middle of the field presence — with Jordan Whitehead driving on the crosser (top of the screen).
Physical hit, ball out. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/rdoCzxlQd5
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) January 25, 2021
April 30th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
Money
Backer
LFG!!!
April 30th, 2026 at 12:34 pm
This kid is a smart , football junkie. He is a stud who played multiple positions for Miami. Great get. He will be impactful.
Favorite player in CFB last year and I am not a Miami fan.
April 30th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
He is the real deal. Sure tackler who wraps up. Picks off passes, punches the ball out, and actually ran stunts with Bain.
Physical, plays like a linebacker, and at 5’11” is an inch taller than Ronde Barber.
April 30th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
I actually thought Whiteheads hit and forced fumble really kept us in control of the game and helped allow the win
April 30th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
The gushing is over the top.
April 30th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Keonte amd Trotter were on my list early, then i was going will Lee and Hill jr….just keeping it real….and of course Bain was unreachable so i never considered him. I know Keonte is going to be a HUGE upgrade for us, and wow, what a value at 4th…i predict he’ll get a nice contract when the time comes….and so will Bain and Trotter……now to see what this 3rd rd WR can do….who also looks like a steal…forgot his name but hopefully he’ll remind me come game time.
April 30th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
love this pick!!!!
surprised he was there in the 4th too….
i though the was at worst a 3rd round pick
GO BUCS!!!
April 30th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
“Man, Joe hasn’t seen Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht get this excited for a fourth-round draft pick since edge rusher David Walker last year.”
Lmao!
April 30th, 2026 at 1:11 pm
“The gushing is over the top.”
You’re mad because guys on a football site get happy about good football players, while everything you type is either expressing your displeasure with Bowles or anything else that has to do with this football team.
That’s gotta to suck for you, just a lil bit.
April 30th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Speaking of the lovely and talented David Walker what’s his status Joe? Will he be a full go in OTA’s and training camp?
April 30th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Alex , Robinson, Bain , trotter and Scott these guys are tone setters. Thumpers. And we added 5 to the defense. I love what the Bucs are trying to do and I say try because time will only tell if it works. Let’s go
April 30th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
You know what I noticed in both of those video clips… look at the coverage. The corners aren’t standing around flat footed 15 yards down field in zone waiting for something to happen.
But please, someone pop in to tell me about how the 2020 Bucs were a zone defense, just like today. LOL!
April 30th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
a couple of interesting 53-man projections are trending :
Culp out
Kam out
Klein out
Braswell out
the remainder are as expected
doesn’t appear to be a lot of exciting position battles in camp –
offense is pretty set –
defense is pretty set
April 30th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Scott going to be our starting Nickel. With Parrish going to the outside as a starter and then Zion and Morrison can battle it out for the other outside CB spot.
Zion and Morrison are currently our 2 biggest unknowns/liabilities, so one of them can start and the other can be a 2nd stringer.
April 30th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
“You know what I noticed in both of those video clips… look at the coverage. The corners aren’t standing around flat footed 15 yards down field in zone waiting for something to happen.”
You’re confusing cushion with the call, which is zone Rod lol
Obviously you need film with narration, because you’re eyes can’t do it all
April 30th, 2026 at 2:50 pm
Let me explain, Whitehead is the robber in this instance. As the robber, he fires toward the block to stop intermediate slants/curls or anything else that’ll cross his face.
You’re talking about the depth of the CBs as if that determines the difference of the call, and in this case that would be-in your words-retarded.
April 30th, 2026 at 3:09 pm
It’s also called read and react, you either can or can’t. When Whitehead saw the play he reacted, good field of vison. Scott has that. That pick 6 against OSU was just that and more than that it looked like film study the way he was all over it.
April 30th, 2026 at 4:11 pm
Jack Says:
Good god Rod Munch….. Still trying to redefine what zone and man to man coverage are, after people who actually know a little something about football/defense corrected you.
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So you watch those video clips, and you think that’s the same defense we’re running right now? Super soft zone with guys standing around 15 yards down the field at the snape of the ball. LOL!
Literally retarded.
Literally.
April 30th, 2026 at 4:16 pm
Where’s that remote, ya know the one where I can fast-forward to August
April 30th, 2026 at 4:54 pm
Fast forward to August – of 2027.
April 30th, 2026 at 6:14 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch … ‘You’re talking about the depth of the CBs as if that determines the difference of the call, and in this case that would be-in your words-retarded.’
Nicely played WBL.
April 30th, 2026 at 6:19 pm
Rod Munch … ‘Literally retarded. Literally.’
Seems like using the word ‘literally’ TWICE Rod is becoming a habit. If you have to ‘double down’ like that, it would seem to indicate that you weren’t clear the first time. Well, either that or you’re not giving your intended audience being able to read.
Hmmm, come to think of it, I’ll go with Option 2 in your case.
April 30th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
Make this man the starter. Make B-Rex a starter. And make the Hurst kid a starter.
Send a message to the losers of last year that are still on the team.
April 30th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Using the word ‘retarded’ is utterly classless. Trying to bring it back is a lousy mistake. Players in zome are supposed to instantly close on the receiver or player that crosses the line of scrimmage. That leads to lots of gang tackling and turnovers if executed properly.
April 30th, 2026 at 8:50 pm
Defense Rules Says:
Seems like using the word ‘literally’ TWICE Rod is becoming a habit.
———-
Well some people say literally but don’t actually mean literally – it’s just a figure of speech. I’m literally saying it twice to emphasize I literally mean it.
April 30th, 2026 at 8:50 pm
Stpetematt Says:
April 30th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Using the word ‘retarded’ is utterly classless.
———-
And?
April 30th, 2026 at 8:57 pm
Jack Says:
April 30th, 2026 at 6:15 pm
Players not scheme Rod.
Todd didn’t just start ordering CBs to play “soft zones”.
————
So you’re telling me that Todd isn’t telling peoples to stand around flat footed in a zone 10 yards down the field at the snap – that in reality he wants them at the line playing bump and run and they refuse to do their job?
LOL!
Meanwhile this is from Joe’s article when Carlton Davis was traded to Detroit, which LITERALLY proves my point.
———–
The departed one, former Bucs No. 1 cornerback Carlton Davis, met with the Detroit media this afternoon. Joe enjoyed the fun with a plate of Hooters wings and an ice cold Big Storm beer (Bromosa).
Some highlights:
*”You about to get a lock down corner,” Davis told Lions media. “You about to be able to have one side just like, you know, unavailable. That’s what I do. I’m here to take out the No. 1 receiver on any team.”
*A reporter asked Davis about his lockdown status and Davis told a reporter to “turn on the film” and watch him in man-to-man coverage on the NFL’s top receivers. “Not when I’m zone,” he added with emphasis. The reporter asked Davis to name a game in which he was a lockdown guy. Davis replied by asking, “What year?” The reporter said, “last year,” and David painfully struggled to name one game and didn’t.
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Do you see what happened there… he said watch the tape from when I’m in man-to-man, that’s when he’s a shutdown corner. The reporter asked what game from last year can you point to in order to see that, Davis couldn’t come up with an answer, because they don’t play man-to-man. YET he’s saying they DID play man-to-man. Anyone who watches the film above and thinks that is zone defense is beyond dumb.
April 30th, 2026 at 9:56 pm
Scott vs Whitehead measurables:
5’11 1/4″ VS 5 ’10 3/8″
193 lbs VS 198
Arm Length: 31+3⁄8 in VS 29 3⁄4 ”
Hand Span: 9+5⁄8 in VS 8 1⁄2″
40-Yard Dash: 4.33 secs VS 4.59
Vertical Jump: 34.0 in (0.86 m) — same
Broad Jump: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) — same
Similar athleticism but Scott is faster and longer.
Whitehead is a tad thicker thus he packed a wallop when he hit.
I’ll take the speed and length when playing nickel.
April 30th, 2026 at 10:11 pm
Its great to get a guy in that wants to be that nickel. That’s huge for the defense. Scott was one of/if not the best player available at that pick and it was a position of need. That opens up things for the rest of the secondary.
May 1st, 2026 at 3:10 am
This isn’t entirely man or zone, right?
Isn’t this coverage a hybrid coverage called Cover 1 Hole?
Winfield and Whitehead line up like they are playing Cover 2 Zone over the top with everyone else lining up to play man underneath.
As soon as the receiver breaks inside, Whitehead races down to man up on the crosser making it look like Winfield is alone in Cover 1 over top. But, Dean, who lined up to give the crosser a man look takes over as the Cover 2 Safety for the bottom half of the field.
The idea is to bait the QB to throw to the crosser; the QB is supposed to “see” that Dean has “lost” the crosser and throw it to the crosser as the crosser appears to be running free. The receiver also may think that he is open when in fact Whitehead is racing down with bad intent to breakup the pass or jump the route for an interception.
Whitehead liked to hit. If he doesn’t get there in time to jump the route or breakup the pass, Whitehead has a full head of steam and can deliver a whale of a wallop that may cause a fumble so long as he is careful not to contact the receiver during the period when the receiver is “helpless”.
Kind of a mean call to use if you have a crosser who has been victimizing you. Even if he completes the catch. you get a free shot at him which may slow him down for a while.
When the wallop hits home, it is a play that says, “Yes, you have our attention! Did you really want it?”
May 1st, 2026 at 6:20 am
Whitehead did that twice in that game. Almost looked like the exact play.
May 1st, 2026 at 9:24 am
“We’ve been slowly and without much $ been rebuilding the defense after the talent dump post Brady.”
Not only that, but starting Bradys’ last year in 2022, we had to rebuild the entire OL piece by piece all the way up to the 2024 draft picking Barton to replace Jensen 2.5-3 YEARS after Jensen suffered what turned out to be a career ending injury for Big Red.
That’s without mentioning losing Donnie Smith(and his holding calls), Ali retiring young as hell, and Cappa getting signed away.
Lot of people overlook that, just to say Licht stinks at having to rebuild one of the more important units on the team.
May 1st, 2026 at 1:22 pm
toopanca – There’s literally no-one, outside of NFL hipsters, who would call that zone, and claim it’s the same scheme that we’re still running today.
As Carlton Davis said when Bowles shipped him out of town – he excelled in MAN, and Bowles stopped playing man.