Buccaneers rookie running back standing out in training camp so far

So far in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, one rookie has stood out above the rest. It’s an encouraging sign for the Buccaneers’ present and future.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting too many eggs in the NFL training camp basket. Fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and those around the team reporting to those fans are no different than any others. In this case, any excitement is actually pretty justified.

The running back situation for the Buccaneers is certainly an interesting one. Leonard Fournette is the obvious alpha, but perhaps not to the point of being a traditional “bell cow back”. With what the Bucs have seen from their rookie running back, Fournette may not have to be.

The Buccaneers drafted Rachaad White in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft and is looking to be worth the selection thus far. New head coach Todd Bowles talked about his rookie glowingly citing how the former Arizona State Sun Devil has shown that he has a knack at not only running the ball but also in the passing game. White has shown to be more than a capable receiver, and pass-blocker in protection.

This development certainly puts some spotlight on veteran Giovanni Bernard, who, while himself having a good camp, was originally brought in for this same skillset, albeit not being much of a spring chicken himself. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is also in an interesting spot, also being a third-round pick (76th overall to White’s 91st) and showed flashes of being a pretty good ball carrier late last season. The battle for the second running back spot should be interesting as we dive deeper into the preseason.

As alluded to earlier, you have to take training camp reports with a grain of salt, particularly the good performances. That said, it’s understandable for Bucs fans to get carried away when it comes to ball carriers. It seemed they can never get the position right in drafts and haven’t had successful rookies aside from Cadillac Williams and Warrick Dunn since ditching the creamsicle uniforms. Granted, they were both named Rookie of the Year, but the bar isn’t even set that high.

At the end of the day, we won’t know anything until an opponent is lined up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with something on the line. However, things are looking up for White being a capable RB2 to Fournette, and that is encouraging, especially when Fournette sometimes takes a bit to reach his other gear as “Late Season Lenny”. Fans have a right to be excited by this reported development of Rachaad White.