Buccaneers have a potential backup plan in case they trade Devin White
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers inadvertently made headlines Tuesday when former first-round pick Devin White requested a trade. Outside of his performances during the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl run, White's play has been pretty suboptimal when looking at it through the lens of what a top-5 pick should be. He struggles in coverage heavily, he plays […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers inadvertently made headlines Tuesday when former first-round pick Devin White requested a trade.
Outside of his performances during the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl run, White's play has been pretty suboptimal when looking at it through the lens of what a top-5 pick should be.
He struggles in coverage heavily, he plays too aggressively; often playing too fast and missing crucial reads. He will overrun assignments forfeiting gap integrity, and leaving the defense susceptible to a big play. And, he presented questionable effort in multiple ways during the 2022 season.
To be fair, White has also shown flashes of brilliance on multiple occasions, and that's why his post-2023 situation is a complicated one. Regardless, the Buccaneers would certainly be in the market for a linebacker to replace him if he's traded.
Fortunately, there's a draft prospect that not only makes sense – he won't cost a premium pick.
Let's talk about former Auburn linebacker, Owen Pappoe.
We know the Buccaneers love speed at linebacker, especially Todd Bowles. Pappoe ran a blazing 4.39 in his 40-yard dash, which made him the fastest linebacker at the combine.
Unlike White, he excels in coverage. He can handle running backs out of the back-filed, tight-ends, and even has the lateral agility to match up with some receivers.
He gives phenomenal effort and will chase down ball carriers no matter where they are on the field.
I'm not sure he is a natural processor as he tends to play more reactive rather than instinctive; although his lateral mobility helps mask this. Either way, Lavonte David would be the one to call the plays in a White-less Tampa Bay defense in 2023, so Pappoe would have at least one season to acclimate to his eventual responsibility.
The negatives with Pappoe are that he does not have a thick lower body, so he struggles against the run and he virtually packs no power in his hands when rushing the passer. He is not a perfect prospect and he requires some refinement, but if he is there in round four, he is not a bad option.
Either way, he's one of many, sensible backup plans for the Buccaneers.
