2019 NFL mock draft: Full 7-round version
By Joe Romano
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Devin White, LB, LSU
Another player that made himself some money in Indianapolis is LSU linebacker Devin White. White’s combine performance was overshadowed by the likes of Metcalf and Quinnen Williams, but he had himself a day. It was evident on tape that he was an elite athlete but his dominance on the field and with the stop watch was eye popping. White’s skill set fits perfectly to the modern NFL.
With Tampa Bay likely losing Kwon Alexander to free agency, they will have a hole at linebacker. The team’s defense has been held steady by their linebacker play as of late. Lavonte David is criminally underrated but also aging. Bringing in White revitalizes the second level of the defense and helps in every aspect. White’s sideline to sideline play could cover for the lack of safety play in the run game. His ability to read and diagnose, an area that took a major step forward in 2018, would be a welcome addition for this defense.
The Buccaneers have plenty of holes that could be filled by this pick. They shut the door on one of them by coming to terms with tackle Donovan Smith. Another area of concern is the secondary, but there are no players at either corner or safety that can warrant a top five selection in this draft. Instead they “settle” for White, who is ranked by many inside the top five of overall talents in the class. It’s a step in the right direction for a defense that is set to look vastly different in 2019 than the porous version we saw in 2018.