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BY IRA KAUFMAN

Jon Gruden won’t be the only participant in this Bucs-Raiders matchup with some extra motivation.

Devin White also can’t wait for Sunday night’s game at Allegiant Stadium. Gruden is out for revenge because he was fired. White wants payback because he wasn’t hired.

Make sense?

When the 2019 NFL draft kicked off, White had every reason to believe he was going to be playing for the silver and black. That didn’t happen, which turned out to be a blessing for Buc Nation and an apparent oversight by the Raiders.

White remembers that evening like it was yesterday. On Sunday night, he intends to prove Gruden and GM Mike Mayock made a big mistake.

“I can give you the rundown of what was in my head,” White said to me and Derrick Brooks on our “Tampa Two” show for The Identity Tampa Bay. “I felt like I was the best player in the draft. I knew why the Cardinals wouldn’t have taken me at No. 1. They were taking Kyler Murray because of their head coach and the style of offense they like to run.

“San Francisco, they got Kwon (Alexander), so I knew they weren’t gonna take me as well. The No. 3 team (Jets), they just signed C.J. Mosley for a lot of money. When we came down to the No. 4 team, I just felt like it was the perfect spot.”

Combine Fire

But instead of selecting White, the Raiders went with Clemson defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell, who struggled for much of his rookie season.

Ferrell is coming off his best game as a pro, proving to be a disruptive force as the Raiders upset the Chiefs on the road before their bye week.

“At the combine, I was in the film room with Coach Gruden and Mike Mayock,” White said. “I felt they put it on me too, having me make the calls. I felt I did great under that pressure. Then they sent their defensive coordinator to LSU right before the Pro Day and taught me a specific part of their defense. I’m like, ‘There’s something good going on.’ I knew they didn’t really have any inside guys.

“Then I visited them out there and had a great time. Mike Mayock told me we need a guy like you to stop Patrick Mahomes and stuff. But when it came down to it, my phone didn’t ring. I just had to live with it. I’m not mad they didn’t take me. I just wanted to get taken as high as possible because I wanted to set a trend for inside linebackers. It wasn’t about I wanted to be a Raider so bad — it was about setting a trend for the new-age linebacker coming into the game and how important we are.”

Since White arrived, Tampa Bay’s rushing defense has been exceptional.

Todd Bowles listened

Only eight players have more than White’s 50 tackles and only six players have more than his seven tackles for loss. He played well against Green Bay Sunday after imploring Todd Bowles to turn him loose.

“I landed in a great spot because this defensive coordinator I’m playing with, I love him and feel he’s one of the best if not the best in the game,” said White. “And he’s doing this with young guys. Our whole secondary is on a rookie contract — that lets you know how creative he is. I’m very thankful to be playing in this defense and in this scheme. Jason Licht, the best thing he did was call my phone on draft night.”

Besides the snub by the Raiders, White is geeked about the opportunity to face a run-oriented attack. Josh Jacobs averages 21 carries per game, second in the league behind Derrick Henry.

“We’ve got to go out there and put on a show as a team,” White said. “I know I’m gonna get mine when we play those guys. They depend on the run game heavy and when a team doesn’t shy away from their run, I’m able to show up in the game a lot.

“A lot of teams we’ve been facing, besides Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey, they haven’t been featuring their running backs as much, so it’s like ‘Dang, is Devin White even on the field?’ ”

Yes he is. And he’s making plays, sideline to sideline.

Ira’s friend Sean Sullivan, the Bill Currie Ford, will give you a special Ira Kaufman/JoeBucsFan discount, in addition to truly exemplary service.

Buccaneers legend Derrick Brooks sits down with Devin White & Ira Kaufman for an all-new TAMPA TWO.

Another iconic episode from The Identity Tampa Bay and Joe.

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