By Kory Woods, Tribune News Service
INDIANAPOLIS — Miami’s Keionte Scott didn’t answer if he met with the Detroit Lions at the NFL scouting combine, likely because he missed the start of the question. Still, he shared what it would mean to join Lions defenders Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, a pair many defensive back prospects admire.
“Brian Branch is a guy I’ve watched a lot, too, on tape,” Scott said. “Definitely a guy that’s very versatile, plays the game the right way. So that’d be meaningful to be able to get out there and be with them.”
With Branch and Joseph both dealing with injuries, it’s uncertain when any new Lions defender from this year’s draft will get to play alongside them. The Lions’ secondary is also in flux because of those injuries and possible departures, such as Amik Robertson, who was their main nickelback over the past two seasons.
That makes Scott an interesting candidate.
At 6 feet and 193 pounds, Scott is already bigger than Robertson and more similar in size to Branch. Last year at Miami, he played 756 snaps, with 489 in the slot and 196 at other spots on the field. This kind of versatility should help him in the NFL.
Scott believes this is the key to succeeding as a hybrid defensive back, a role Miami called the “STAR,” where he covered receivers, blitzed, and defended against the run.
“When you look at the position, it’s a very unique position. At times, you’ve got to be a defensive end, you’ve got to be a linebacker, you’ve got to be a safety, you’ve got to be a corner,” Scott said. “So I think it’s just the ability to be a Swiss army knife and be able to do multiple things and also thrive at it. I feel like it’s a key to defenses at times, and I feel like it needs to be evaluated that way.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Scott is a well-rounded nickel defender who could fill in if Branch needs more time to recover.
His 91.2 run defense grade shows he’s strong in the box, and his 87.1 coverage grade proves he can handle coverage duties. While he may not be a pure man-coverage specialist, his balanced skills make him a good fit as a versatile, every-down slot defender.
Last season, Scott recorded 42 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. He returned both interceptions for touchdowns.
Scott has a second-round grade and could be a Day 2 option for the Lions, depending on how they handle their other needs in free agency. He’s especially likely if the team adds another second-round pick.
The main concern teams like the Lions could have about Scott is his age.
He’ll be 25 when the NFL season starts, after playing several seasons at Snow and Auburn before his final year at Miami. When asked, Scott said he wasn’t worried about it.
“I’ve heard that going around, but I feel like this game we play now is a win-now game,” Scott said. “And I feel like that takes a lot of the age things away. Some of these teams, some of these coaches don’t have time to wait. So I feel like you evaluate players as they can play the game of football, because if you play this game, it doesn’t matter how old you are…I don’t think age is something that teams should be worried about.
“I know it’s obviously contract-wise, but when you’re in a win-now situation, you get the best guys.”
_©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC._