The Chicago Bears are reportedly set to meet with Miami Hurricanes cornerback Keionte Scott for a pre-draft visit. Should general manager Ryan Poles add a cornerback on Day 2 of the draft?
The Chicago Bears might look to upgrade their secondary early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to Jordan Schultz, Miami Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott has a visit scheduled with the Bears.
Scott ended his redshirt senior season with one interception, 17 total quarterback pressures, five sacks and four passes defensed. He didn't give up a single touchdown on 561 defensive snaps played, according to Pro Football Focus.
The 6-foot, 194-pound cornerback was one of the best players at his respective position in college football last season. He finished with a 90.5 overall Pro Football Focus defensive grade , third among 897 qualified cornerbacks. His run-defensive grade (91.4) was second best at his position.
Looking at his alignments from this past season, Scott primarily played in the slot (366 snaps) and added another 141 snaps in the box.
There's some versatility to his game, which is something that Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen covets in his players. Chicago also made it an emphasis to increase the defense's overall speed this season.
Scott checks that box as well.
NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe, wrote on X that "three scouts had him (Scott) listed as 4.33 40-yard dash with few others between 4.35-4.38."
Scott also reportedly logged a 10'3" broad jump and a 44 inch vertical.
The Hurricanes' playmaker also has experience on special teams. Throughout his four-year career, Scott has 43 punt returns for 444 yards and one touchdown.
One of the knocks on Scott is that he doesn't have much ball production throughout his college career. Just two interceptions and eight passes defensed, but his 31 total pressures in four seasons does provide a defensive coordinator with a multitude of ways he can utilized within a defense.
He's also missed some games during the 2023 and 2024 seasons because of ankle and foot injuries. Scott is also 24 years old, which could eliminate him from certain team's draft boards at specific slots in the draft.
Those question marks could be the reasons why the Bears want to host him on a pre-draft visit in the first place. Another reason could involve how Scott would fit in Allen's defense.
Will it be as nickel corner? That spot is solidified with Kyler Gordon, who just singed a three-year, $40 million extension last offseason. Or maybe it's more at a safety role opposite of Coby Bryant, especially since Scott has familiarity playing in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage.
Scott will likely hear his name early on Day 2 on the NFL Draft. The Bears have picks 57 and 60 in the second round, which could be in the range to select him.
Scott's skillset matches what the Bears are looking for in their defensive players, so it makes sense why the team would want to bring him in for a visit before potentially selecting him in the upcoming draft.