Despite the loss of Tom Brady, the Bucs still have a talented roster. According to anonymous players, coaches, scouts and executives Devin White is one of those players. ESPN conducts a yearly exercise of polling industry personnel to determine who they think are the best players at each position. As they kicked off their survey this year with inside linebackers, White placed inside the top-10 at 5th.

Bucs Linebacker Ranks 5th Overall

White’s prodigious potential helps keep him near the top of the rankings among the NFL’s inside linebackers as he ranks 5th on ESPN’s list. This is a one-spot drop from 2022. Here is what the article had to say about him:

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Most agree White did not have his best year in 2022, and at times looked uninspired in a season in which he posted 124 tackles, zero interceptions and five passes defended.

“He’s a top-five talent that played outside of the top 10 last year,” an AFC scout said.

An NFC scout added that discipline and physicality appeared to be issues last year, and it’s hard to crack the top five when that happens.

But the former No. 1 linebacker from 2021 still has the major ability that earned him All-Pro second-team honors two years ago.

White is an elite blitzer, coming for the quarterback on 26.3% of his snaps and recording 5.5 sacks in 2022 — 20.5 for his career. Some evaluators are still enamored with what could be.

“Sideline-to-sideline playmaking is elite,” said one veteran AFC personnel who voted him No. 1. “He’s got the versatility to line up and play a variety of roles.”

White’s Draft Potential Continues To Make Him Highly-Regarded

White is quite the polarizing player. Much of this stems from his draft season when he showed that physically he has no limit to what he could be. With speed that would make some cornerbacks jealous, the agility of a running back and a heavy-hitter style of play, White evoked possibilities of a faster Derrick Brooks. And those possibilities are still technically there.

However, he routinely grades poorly by Pro Football Focus’ grading system. Most fans and

Bucs LB Devin White and Panthers QB Sam Darnold – Photo by: USA Today

analysts have come to realize his lapses in coverage can be very detrimental to the defense. In addition, White can have trouble getting off of blocks due to his smaller size. But with all of those drawbacks, White still has incredible speed and athleticism that helps him make plays most other linebackers could never dream of. These attributes have aided him in becoming the premier blitzing off-ball linebacker in the NFL. This creates a vast chasm of opinions regarding White. This explains why the range of rankings for White in ESPN’s survey was 2nd on the high-end and unranked on the low.

One thing is for certain is that White’s physical talents, draft pedigree and highlight-reel plays all combine to keep him viewed within the league as one of the best linebackers in the game. And this has led White to seek a near record-setting contract as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. With the Bucs content to let White play out that final year, White has tried to find that contract elsewhere through a trade request.

The Bucs Other Linebacker Also Received Votes

Most Bucs fans expect a Tampa Bay linebacker to rank in the top-five. They just lose their minds to find out it is White. Veteran Lavonte David continues to fight off Father Time with elite play as both a run defender as well as in coverage. While David has lost a step as he has aged, his instincts keep him making plays he has no business making. David is a well-rounded, highly intelligent linebacker who enables his teammates to take risks they normally would not be able to.

Regardless of their individual rankings the Bucs sport a linebacking duo that combines rare athleticism, football smarts and instincts that complement each other well. This gives each player the unique opportunity to enable the other to play at their best.