Buccaneers Gold Medal Winner: Rachaad White
Don’t look now, but the Buccaneers may have found another golden nugget in their draft mining this year. This writer has commended the emergence of Cade Otton, and while he was quieter this week, he still contributed.
Elsewhere in the rookie class, there’s Rachaad White.
The franchise and fans alike have been keeping a keen eye on White, especially with the state of the Bucs’ rushing attack, or lack thereof, so far in 2022. White seemed to get better and better with each passing week, as his usage was getting greater and greater. In Germany, this all reached its apex.
White was the leading rusher in the game, not Kenneth Walker III, not Leonard Fournette, but White. He rushed 22 times for 105 yards and looked great doing it. He probably could have had a late touchdown, but made the veteran-savvy move to get down so the Bucs could milk out the rest of the clock.
Now that Fournette injured his hip, with the severity still unknown, White has a chance to truly shine. When Lenny exited the game early, that’s when White’s takeover began. He made any Seahawks fans watching long for the days of Marshawn Lynch with his stiff arm, and it was enough to make Bucs fans giddy.
Rachaad White was balling, and this gold medal may not be the last, as the offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appears to be on the precipice of humming, and White very well could play a key part in that. This is an exciting time.