Devin White, LB
A lot was made this offseason about Devin White and his future in Tampa Bay. Without a contract extension, the Pro Bowler requested a trade ahead of the NFL Draft as a Hail Mary tactic to try and get the deal he wanted. To his credit, White has since rescinded the request, but the fact remains that he's playing this season on his fifth-year option and needs to have one of the seasons of his career to secure the bag.
So far he's off to a great start.
Last week against the Vikings, White led the team in total tackles and accounted for over a half-dozen all on his own. While he didn't record a sack, White blitzed 10 times and busted up three different run plays along with three coverage stops. Without hyperbole, White was all over the field as much as the green on the turf was, and his impact played a huge part in the Bucs securing the upset win.
Hey, it was a good Devin White game on Sunday! Great discipline to not just recklessly over pursue on the fake, but finds the football, stays home and makes the stop. pic.twitter.com/Zqwa0WULto
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) September 11, 2023
Tampa Bay will need more of that on Sunday, especially against a quarterback like Justin Fields who can extend plays with his feet much better than Kirk Cousins can. White can further his case for a huge contract by diversifying his attack against Chicago, acting less as a blitzing linebacker and more as a spy keeping an eye on Fields and where he goes.
One area where the Bucs could get punched in the mouth is if Fields scrambles and allows his wide receivers to find space in the secondary -- one that is already down one of its best players. White keeping tabs on Fields and adding to his highlight reel against an eclectic young quarterback is going to be good for everyone.