At the start of this off-season, linebacker wasn’t at the top of the list in terms of team needs. Today though the Buccaneers could be looking at being without Kwon Alexander and Kendell Beckwith. Where they could lose one to free agency and the other to a career ending injury respectively.
If a Todd Bowles defense uses a 3-4 hybrid defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will need more depth at LB. That’s one of the reasons why Tampa Bay had a formal interview with LSU’s Devin White last week. Per the Tampa Bay Times Rick Stroud.
LSU LB Devin White met with the Bucs last night and said he did a lot of work with coaches breaking down tape. Says he speaks often with Kwon Alexander, whose picture was in the Bucs interview room.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 2, 2019
Scouts consider White to be a top-20 pick and could fit well in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. All the more reason for the Bucs to take a hard look at him, as they are sure to deploy a variety of defensive packages.
Devin White flashed a big smile when Tampa Bay was brought up, and explained via Pewter Report’s Trevor Sikkema,
#LSU LB Devin White got a big smile when he was asked if he met with the #Bucs. Answer was yes. Said they watched a ton of film. White said he talked to them about he and Kwon Alexander:“If you put two guys like that lining up next to each other, what can the offense do?”
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 2, 2019
If in fact the Bucs were to draft White and able retain Alexander, what a scary good look that would be. Alexander is reported to test free agency, so his future in Tampa Bay remains to be seen. If they Alexander is a Buc in 2019, when you add in the long-standing Lavonte David as well, this Bucs linebacker unit could end up being the best in the league.
Devin White would add a ton of upside for Tampa Bay. He’s excellent run defender, and very good in pass coverage. Who is very much the complete package, and is what every scout’s looking for in a top linebacker prospect.
Devin White At No. 5?
The question though is White worth the overall pick? If not, would the Bucs be able to trade down to the middle of the first round and grab him if he was their top prospect? Right now it isn’t certain what Tampa Bay is thinking at number 5. One thing is certain though, this LSU product looks to be a very good football player in the pro’s.
