2019 NFL Draft: Grades for every first-round pick

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin White, LB, LSU

Grade: A-

With the fifth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added some much-needed stability to the linebacker position by taking LSU’s Devin White. After letting Kwon Alexander leave via free agency, linebacker immediately became a major need for the Bucs as they transition to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

White is one of the most physically gifted players in this NFL draft class. He shows elite speed and quickness at the position, making plays all over the field against the run and in coverage. White is powerful at the point of attack and shows impressive block shed ability.

The LSU product is much more of a finesse player than a guy who plays with power. His athleticism leaps off of the screen, but does not like to bang inside often. He always tries to run around blockers as opposed to taking them on and stuffing the gap. That can be an issue at the next level.

White is not a perfect prospect, and I do question the value of taking a linebacker this high in the draft. That being said, he is an ideal fit for the modern NFL, consistently winning with explosive speed and athleticism. He has elite upside as a coverage linebacker and can legitimately defend the run from sideline-to-sideline. Off-ball linebacker was a major need for Tampa Bay and they filled it with the best one in the draft. Hard to complain too much about this pick.