Tag: Devin White

Throwback Thursday: Bucs select Devin White in the 2019 NFL draft

Take a look back now to the 2019 NFL draft, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected a linebacker out of LSU named Devin White.

This year’s NFL draft was originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, the ideal city to hold such an extravagant event. But in light of the coronavirus pandemic, commissioner Roger Goodell informed all teams that this year’s draft will be fully virtual.

That means we won’t get to see players make the traditional walk to the stage to don the hat and hold up the jersey of their new team, all while giving Goodell a handshake or bear hug. But again, having the draft in a virtual format is the safest and smartest decision to make during these times, so hats off to the NFL for taking the necessary precautions.

Still, it’ll be an adjustment for both players and fans. In honor of Throwback Thursday, let’s take a look back now at last year’s NFL draft in Nashville, when a linebacker from LSU named Devin White officially became a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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This former Bucs player was named the best value pick made by GM Jason Licht

Charley Casserly over at NFL.com called this former Buccaneers linebacker the best value pick made by Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht.

With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, general managers are likely putting in some extra hours between now and then as this year’s draft will be fully virtual for the first time in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jason Licht of the Bucs has already said he’ll have the team’s director of football technology, Spencer Dille, at his house to make any repairs for him should technical difficulties arise during the draft. Fortunately, for Licht, he has experience when it comes to the draft, having been in charge of it since he was hired as the Bucs GM in 2014. Licht has hit home runs on several draft picks, but has also had a few duds, like cornerback Vernon Hargreaves and kicker Robert Aguayo.

So, which player has been his best pick, and which his best value pick? According to Charley Casserly of NFL.com, Licht’s best selection came in the 2014 NFL draft in the form of wide receiver Mike Evans.

Per Casserly:

“The 6-foot-5 wideout is so hard to stop because of his size, speed and hands. He’s been consistently great with up-and-down quarterback play, logging at least 1,000 receiving yards in every one of his six NFL seasons.”

No surprise there. Evans has been nothing short of spectacular since entering the league. As for who Casserly believes has been the best value pick during the Licht era, that honor goes to former Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.

“A true run-and-chase linebacker, Alexander is highly instinctive and was a solid player and leader for the Bucs’ D for four seasons.”

Licht also seems to have found a future star in linebacker Devin White, who was taken fifth overall in last year’s draft. Tampa Bay owns the 14th pick in round one this year, and many experts believe they’ll target an offensive tackle to help protect Tom Brady. Knowing Licht is leading the charge for the Bucs in the draft should inspire confidence in Tampa Bay fans.

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The Bucs defense could take a big leap in 2020

See why Mike Clay of ESPN thinks the Buccaneers defense has been one of the biggest stories of the 2020 offseason.

There’s no doubt that Tom Brady was the biggest individual signing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. The prized free agent chose the Bucs and their talented roster over a return to the New England Patriots, with the hope that the Bucs can help him in his pursuit for a seventh Super Bowl ring.

While Brady’s arrival to the Bucs warrants all the hype and fanfare that comes with it, the Bucs’ defense also had a strong free agency period, evident by their re-signing of Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul, as well as the tagging of linebacker Shaq Barrett, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks last season.

In fact, Mike Clay of ESPN believes the Bucs had the look of a team on the rise even before the Brady signing, in part because of their defense. In his latest piece examining five NFL teams trending upwards, Clay had the Bucs on his list, and said the biggest unit upgrade so far this offseason has been to their defense.

Per Clay:

“Even prior to the Brady signing, the Buccaneers had the look of an ascending team, so the re-signing of defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul and linebacker Shaquil Barrett can’t be overlooked when evaluating their offseason. Further development from Devin White, Vita Vea, Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards also will help. Add in standout LB Lavonte David and Justin Evans’ return from a foot injury and you have a defense that could take a big leap in 2020.”

The Bucs defense performed well last year under first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. The rush defense was tops in the league, but the secondary struggled mightily at times. If Tampa Bay can find help for their pass defense in the upcoming NFL draft, they could sport one of the league’s top offenses and defenses next year.

Watch out, Saints.

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Devin White gives Sean Murphy-Bunting a shoutout on Instagram

Bucs LB Devin White appears ready for the season to start, evident by his recent Instagram post.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans everywhere are ecstatic now that quarterback Tom Brady is in charge of their offense. The thought of Brady connecting with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin likely has opposing defensive coordinators up at night already.

But, let’s not sleep on the defense. Tampa Bay’s young D flourished under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles last year, and big things are expected from this unit in 2020. As great as the Bucs’ offense could be, the team won’t go anywhere next season if their defense can’t stop guys like Drew Brees and Matt Ryan in the NFC South.

Fortunately, Devin White and Sean Murphy-Bunting, both of whom were selected in the 2019 NFL draft by the Bucs, are ready for the task at hand. White gave his buddy SMB a shoutout on Instagram recently, showing a picture of the pair taking down former Texan DeAndre Hopkins.

Take a look.

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Devin White’s making good use of his truck this offseason

See how Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White is passing the time while practicing social distancing.

Social distancing is keeping many of us from getting out and being around friends. Even athletes are dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, there’s no rule about social media distancing, so at least we are still able to stay connected in that regard.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, who had a strong second-half finish to last season, recently delivered a message to fans talking about the coronavirus pandemic and how to stay strong. He even recommended doing something you love to help pass the time.

For White, that means putting in some time and work around his property. The real-life cowboy took to Instagram recently showing the work he, and his truck, are putting in.

Take a look.

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Devin White offers advice about how to stay strong during the coronavirus pandemic

Bucs linebacker Devin White took to social media recently to offer advice to fans about how to stay strong during the coronavirus pandemic.

With most of the country practicing social distancing and self-quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a tough time for everyone. Life has come to a temporary standstill, including sports, which has often been an outlet for many of us in times of stress.

The NFL free agency period has certainly provided its fair share of exciting moves to help distract us a little, though, including the Buccaneers landing the biggest free agent in franchise history — Tom Brady.

The Bucs are looking like a legitimate contender in the NFC next year, and not just because Brady will be leading an offense that tied for third in scoring last season (28.6 points per game). Tampa Bay’s defense is coming on strong, and the second-half emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White last season has many fans excited about what he’ll do for an encore.

For now, though, White is practicing social distancing like the rest of us, and he took some time recently to give a word of advice to people in this crazy time.

Take a look.

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Matt Miller’s new mock draft says the Bucs could consider a quarterback in Round 1

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes the Buccaneers could consider a QB in Round 1 of April’s NFL draft, but will likely go defense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are desperately searching for stability at the quarterback position, and after five years and zero playoff appearances, it appears as though incumbent QB Jameis Winston could be on the way out.

If the Bucs do decide to let the quarterback walk, they’ll look to find a replacement either through free agency or in April’s NFL draft. While veterans like Philip Rivers and Tom Brady have been linked to the Bucs, nothing will be known for sure until free agency starts in a little over two weeks.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, in his first post-combine mock draft, says the Bucs could very well consider taking a signal-caller with the 14th pick, but he doesn’t feel there will be a player worthy of that high a selection.

Per Miller:

“A quarterback could definitely be the selection here, but in my rankings, there isn’t a passer worthy of the No. 14 overall selection, which is something [Bruce] Arians and general manager Jason Licht must consider when deciding how to fill the quarterback depth chart this offseason.”

Miller has the draft’s three big-name quarterbacks — Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert — already off the board by the time the Bucs are on the clock. Therefore, Miller has Tampa Bay playing it safe and taking LSU edge K’Lavon Chaisson.

“LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson is a truly special athlete and player at the outside linebacker position. The Tigers asked Chaisson to rush the quarterback but he was also tasked often with dropping into coverage or stacking up against the run. In that way, he’s more like 2019 draft pick Josh Allen from Kentucky than he is a pure pass-rusher.”

Those comparison’s to Josh Allen should excite Bucs fans. Last year in the weeks leading up to the 2019 draft, several mocks had the Bucs taking Allen over Devin White. Clearly, the Bucs are satisfied with their selection of White, but the prospect of adding an Allen-type talent to this young defense has to excite Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

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Daniel Jeremiah’s post-combine mock draft likes this LSU star going to the Bucs

See which LSU star defender NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah likes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April’s NFL draft.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, and now teams will begin the task of assembling their draft boards as they prepare for the big day in April.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to select at the 14th spot in the first round, and it’ll be interesting to see which direction they lean. Right now, the team has needs on both sides of the ball, but free agency will likely dictate which position they target in the draft. With big-name players like Shaq Barrett and Ndamukong Suh scheduled to hit the market, Tampa Bay may be forced to revamp their defense.

NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his post-combine mock draft today, and unlike his first mock where he had the Bucs going QB, Jeremiah believes Tampa Bay will select LSU edge K’Lavon Chaisson.

Per Jeremiah:

“The Bucs need to work out the contract situation with Shaq Barrett, who is headed for free agency after posting 19.5 sacks in 2019, but adding more punch on the defensive line would make sense no matter what happens.”

Jeremiah isn’t the only one who likes Chaisson going to the Bucs. I think the team will continue to build up their young defense through the draft, and Chaisson would be a welcome addition.

Then again, should the Bucs shock the NFL world and land Patriots QB Tom Brady in free agency, you’d have to believe Tampa Bay would look to shore up the right side of their O-line for the Golden Boy, right?

It’s going to be an interesting few months.

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Draft Wire ranks Devin White as the 12th-best rookie of 2019

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White came in at No. 12 on Draft Wire’s list of the top 50 rookies of 2019.

The 2019 season is in the books, but it gave us a glimpse of the future with an impressive rookie class. From QB Kyler Murray dazzling in Arizona to edge Maxx Crosby coming out of nowhere for the Raiders to record 10.0 sacks, there’s a lot to look forward to when the 2020 season rolls around.

Over at Draft Wire, Gavino Borquez listed the top 50 NFL rookies of 2019, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White landed just outside the top 10, coming in at 12.

While some fans may argue he belongs higher on the list (and they’d be right), remember that White did miss time early in the season after suffering a sprained knee in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. He came on strong in the second half of the season, though, winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for both November and December, but I guess it wasn’t enough to crack the top 10 on Draft Wire’s list.

Still, there’s no doubt Tampa Bay and its fans are excited for what the future holds for White and this young defense. And, given that the team holds the 14th pick in April’s draft, they can add even more talent to Todd Bowles’ defensive unit, perhaps even Devin White’s former LSU teammate.

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New Mel Kiper mock draft has the Buccaneers going back to the LSU well

See which LSU star defender Mel Kiper Jr. likes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his latest 2020 NFL mock draft.

With the NFL Scouting Combine set to get underway at the end of the month, the road to the 2020 season begins with its first major stop. NFL coaches and scouts will descend on the combine and this year’s crop of draftees, hoping to find the missing piece to their championship team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who hold the 14th pick in April’s draft, have several glaring needs that need to be addressed along the offensive and defensive line. In his first mock draft last month, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had Tampa Bay going with Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs. But, in his newest mock released today, Kiper thinks the Bucs will snag LSU star defender K’Lavon Chaisson to plug into Todd Bowles’ system.

Per Kiper:

“I mentioned in my Mock Draft 1.0 the Bucs’ possible departures along the defensive line — Ndamukong Suh, Carl Nassib, Jason Pierre-Paul and Beau Allen are all free agents — and Chaisson would be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defense. Chaisson had just 9.5 sacks in his college career, but this is a bet on a terrific upside for a twitchy pass-rusher who should test well at the combine later this month. After taking Devin White in the first round last year, Tampa can go back to the LSU well here with Chaisson.”

As is the case with all mock drafts, nothing is ever certain, and while Chaisson would be an excellent pick for the Bucs, we’ll have a better idea of what Tampa Bay’s top priority is entering the draft once free agency kicks off.

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