Tip Of The Iceberg?
June 7th, 2021
Top 100 ranking.
Last year you could divide Devin White’s play as “BC” and “AC.”
“Before Covid” and “After Covid.”
Before White tested positive for The Sickness, he was a damn good linebacker against the run, maybe excellent in blitzing the quarterback (a huge improvement from his rookie season) but vulnerable against the pass.
After White tested positive for The Sickness, he returned two games later to face the Saints. White was Ray Lewis-like dominant, maybe even better than Lewis.
White was a total force in the playoffs and combined with the return of Vita Vea, the Bucs defense played lights out in the team’s biggest games.
This moved prickly Pete Prisco of CBS Sports to list White in his Top-100 players at No. 33. In fact, Prisco thinks the way White played was just a taste of what is to come.
In his second season, he emerged as a star in the making. He was dominant against the run and played well in coverage, but he also excelled as a blitzer. The best is yet to come.
Think Joe is exaggerating comparing White to Lewis? Well, let’s compare both players’ first playoff appearances.
Ray Lewis
2001
Last three playoff games
vs. Steve McNair/Titans: 12 tackles, 9 solo, pick, pass defensed.
vs. Rich Gannon/Bobby Hoying/Raiders: 9 tackles, 2 solo, 1 TFL, 2 pass defensed, fumble recovery.
vs. Kerry Collins/Giants: 5 tackles, 2 solo, 4 passes defensed.
Devin White
2020
All three playoff games
vs. Drew Brees/Saints: 11 tackles, 10 solo, pass defensed, fumble recovery, pick.
vs. Aaron Rodgers/Packers: 15 tackles, 9 solo, fumble recovery.
vs. Pat Mahomes/Chiefs: 12 tackles, 8 solo, pick, pass defensed.
Now you tell Joe who had the better postseason in his first time at-bat in the playoffs?
White put up better numbers against much better quarterbacks. Warren Sapp even talked about White being more impressive than Lewis in one aspect.
Whatever medicine White may have been taking to recover from The Sickness, that should be a mandatory prescription during the football season.
June 7th, 2021 at 3:13 pm
So does anyone wonder why DB saw such promise in this young man? Hope not.
June 7th, 2021 at 3:27 pm
…and he’s the 2nd best LB on the team.
Amazing.
If White can improve in the passing game, he’ll be the best LB in football soon.
June 7th, 2021 at 3:33 pm
All praise goes to Jason Licht and BUCCO Bruce Arians, what a fantastic job!!!
June 7th, 2021 at 3:39 pm
Trump was given a steroid as part of his treatment. Said it made him feel great.
I think players can get a medical need waiver for otherwise banned compounds.
Maybe that was it.
June 7th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
Hopefully, he will continue to improve
June 7th, 2021 at 3:44 pm
I agree with this assessment. He is a star – still rising. Recent research shows that mild covid cases show remarkably high antibody levels when they get their 2 doses of the vaccine. Hope he does this. Stay well, Mr. White.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:02 pm
Like myself, this defense is pumping battery acid to step on the field week one. That playoff run got their minds where they need to be and Bowels returning coaches will have time in OTA.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:06 pm
Wienfield Jr. in the top 100 year two.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:08 pm
Did he have COVID or was he just exposed to it
June 7th, 2021 at 4:22 pm
Not sure he was sick. 90+% of positives are false.
So he got his own BYE break. Might have something to do with renewed energy.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:36 pm
White can not be better then Lewis until he can sustain that greatness for a long long period of time. Alls I can say is its gonna be a ton of fun watching him try to get to the top of the mountain.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:41 pm
Definitely living up to that #5 pick……Devin White is a dominant force and will be for many years…..great Buc.
June 7th, 2021 at 4:54 pm
White had 9 sacks last year. The Bucs started blitzing him later in the season. Look for double-digits in 2021.
(BTW, Ray Lewis had 3.5 sacks in his best year.)
June 7th, 2021 at 5:03 pm
Remember when Steelers drafted LB Devin Bush in the same draft & all their fans said “we drafted the BETTER Devin”..That aged well haha
June 7th, 2021 at 5:04 pm
“Whatever medicine White may have been taking to recover from The Sickness, that should be a mandatory prescription during the football season.” Hydroxychloroquine?
June 7th, 2021 at 5:07 pm
Im still not convinced that DW is best utilized in pass coverage but he is dominant near the line of scrimmage and he is great in blitz and pass rushing scenarios! I experiment with him occasionally spelling JPP as an outside pass rusher and see how he handles it. DW will never be a a Brooks as a coverage lb and its no coincidence that DW’s play became elite after Bucs started blitzing him more!
June 7th, 2021 at 5:40 pm
And Joe wondered why the Bucs spent a high draft pick on a linebacker… If I remember correctly, he equated linebackers to dinosaurs in the “new” NFL. Doesn’t matter, I still love JBF!
June 7th, 2021 at 5:45 pm
I still cannot believe that was 45’s second season. I appreciate how he keeps all of that energy under control. He is only going to play smarter in year 3. In the playoffs, he had this extra gear that he turns up during the game, and when we need it the most. Not going to compare him to Lewis, Brooks, or Nickerson yet, but im totally fine with watching him earn that respect this season.
June 7th, 2021 at 6:07 pm
I love how he was calling the dagger pick on the sidelines then goes out and executes said pick! That’s how you become legendary!
June 7th, 2021 at 6:08 pm
Medicated, Devin Bush was still a really good pick and has a lot of upside. White is obviously a beast but Bush is pretty good as well
June 7th, 2021 at 6:54 pm
Pine Hills…
He was given a corticosteroid for inflammation, probably dexamethasone, which is totally different than an anabolic steroid, like old school Winstrol for gaining muscle mass
PSL…
Hydroxychloroquine not a steroid
Not making the Pro Bowl sent his motivation to a whole nother level, and the GOAT was there to channel that motivation
June 7th, 2021 at 7:34 pm
I predict Devin White finishes 2021 Top 5 in tackles and sacks.
June 7th, 2021 at 7:39 pm
But but but but but……. Josh Allen….
June 7th, 2021 at 9:16 pm
Would love to know what (if anything?) was wrong w/ objectively truthful comment that it somehow disappeared from this post….
That’s pretty petty Joe!
June 7th, 2021 at 10:15 pm
Devin white was the right pick. He makes watching defense fun again.
June 7th, 2021 at 10:30 pm
Hell yeah I think your exaggerating the entire situation if your going to take the last three playoff games of a hall of fame career knowing the guy wasn’t what he once was and take a guy in his first three playoff games and compare.
Ridiculous even though I hope he has a hall of fame career, Devin white has just to posted a complete season yet. Ya sound kinda crazy. He’s good but ain’t time to be comparing his stats to the greats.
He needs to at least be as consistent as Lavonte Davis sheesh the dude was getting roasted in coverage all year prior to the playoffs
June 7th, 2021 at 11:23 pm
It is fair to compare D Whites first post season to another player’s, whether they are HOF like Ray Lewis or any other player.
Devin has a long way to go in pass coverage, as D White has stated himself, but we definitely see why the Bucs drafted him with the 5th pick of the draft. GO WORLD CHAMPION BUCS!!!!