PewterReport.com analyzes the top players in the 2020 NFL Draft with its position previews. Matt Matera previews the inside linebacker position with a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need at linebacker, a detailed list of this year’s top inside linebackers, and Scott Reynolds offers up the annual PewterReport.com Bucs’ Best Bets – one early round pick, and a pick from the later rounds.

What The Bucs Have At Inside Linebacker 

The Bucs have one of the best inside linebacking duos the NFL has to offer with Lavonte David and Devin White. David has been overlooked for most of his career, but is a Top 5 inside linebacker in this league. He’s the leader on the Bucs defense, with no better example of this then being a mentor to his White last year. He had a team-best 123 tackles along with one sack, one interception and three forced fumbles.

Bucs LB Devin White – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

White had a slow start to his career battling tonsillitis and a knee injury, but had a tremendous ending to his first season in the league on the way to winning back-to-back Defensive Rookie of the Month awards in November and December. White finished with 91 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two defensive scores in a strong rookie year. These two will look to only improve together under year two of Todd Bowles’ defense.

The Bucs have good depth behind David and White as well after re-signing veteran backup Kevin Minter to a one-year deal. Minter played great in replacement of White when he missed three games, and has been a mentor for White due to their LSU connection. After Minter is Jack Cichy, who has been a solid special teams player, but a series of injuries has cost him to miss a lot of games. Noah Dawkins is a practice squad player that got called up for a game against the Titans in October.

What The Bucs Need At Inside Linebacker

The Bucs are set at linebacker with the David and White at the helm for their second season together along with Minter as the primary backup. There’s no need for a linebacker this season, but the Bucs could use a backup plan in place to start grooming another linebacker for depth and/or an eventual replacement for David, who turned 30 this year. Minter is on a one-year contract, so there’s no guarantee he could be back after this season. Cichy has torn both ACLs and dislocated his elbow over the last three years. As promising as he could be as a linebacker, it’s difficult to assume that he won’t get hurt again. Picking up another linebacker to learn Todd Bowles’ defense would be wise, but the Bucs have other needs. If they select a linebacker it will be in a later round.

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