The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open up their 2019 Draft Class by selecting Devin White
There was speculation going into the Draft that the Buccaneers might trade out of the five spot and allow the Redskins to select Daniel Jones or Dwayne Haskins to solve their quarterback problem. They instead opted to remain in place and select Linebacker Devin White out of LSU.
Devin White leaves LSU with 286 total tackles including two seasons with 100+. White’s addition gives the Buccaneers a high upside linebacker who hasn’t hit his full potential yet given that he switched to the spot from Running Back in college. His rise to the top of the board of linebackers can only be explained by his incredible work ethic and willingness to study the game.
The Bucs get a kid with good burst speed and incredible strength. When he tackles players he’s looking to take their head off or pop the ball out and that’s great for a Buccaneers defense that allowed a lot of yards both on the ground and in the air last season. A physical presence up the middle is just what Tampa Bay needs to complement Lavonte David and prevent guys from not only getting to the secondary but even escaping the backfield.
He doesn’t come without his flaws though. White doesn’t quite have the instincts of the position yet given that he hasn’t played the position for a long period of time. He struggles with playing blocks just because he’s green at the spot but it doesn’t take away from his incredibly high ceiling.
Fantasy Impact of Devin White
Another player out of a defensively strong class comes off of the board and IDP owners are watching closely. Devin White specialized in making a ton of tackles while at LSU and a lot of tackles translate to a lot of fantasy points. I expect White to play opposite Lavonte David and expect him to be the guy that blitzes more often. This will allow him to learn to shed blocks by the trial of fire and give him the opportunity to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Deone Bucannon hurts badly from this addition given that it’s his spot that White is gunning after. His degression statistically does not bode well for the 2014 first-rounder who is about to become a second-stringer.
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