Bucs’ Jason Licht shockingly regrets drafting Super Bowl champion Devin White

In Pompei's profile piece on the Buccaneers' GM, Licht admitted that the player he selected 5th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin White — who was nothing short of spectacular during the team's Super Bowl run in 2020 — likely wouldn't have been on his draft board according to his current drafting philosophy.

"In hindsight, Licht believes he was fooled in 2019 when he chose linebacker Devin White in the first round." Pompei wrote. "White was a starter for the better part of five years for the Bucs but eventually was let go. He’s with his third team since."

That statement was accompanied by a quote from Jason Licht on the decision to draft White back in 2019.

“Knowing what I know now, he would have been off my board,” Licht says. “It was too much about him.”

Devin White was a contentious figure during his time with the Buccaneers. When he was motivated, he was a dynamic weapon anchoring Todd Bowles' defense alongside franchise superstar, Lavonte David. White's ferocity and speed were on full display when he played disciplined football within Todd Bowles' complex scheme.

The problem? You never knew which version of Devin White was going to show up.

Not only that, but as time went on, it became abundantly clear that White wasn't providing enough splash plays to make up for his lack of consistency. Although the Bucs did exercise the fifth-year option on White's rookie contract, his inability to get off blocks, his constantly being targeted in coverage and blowing assignments resulted in too many negative plays for the team.

White requested a trade during the 2023 offseason, which he later rescinded, but the damage had already been done. White was never re-signed by the Buccaneers, and although the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a 1-year contract, he was released in October without ever having played a snap for the team.

It's clear from reading this quote from the Buccaneers' GM that he felt as though White was a self-serving player who didn't possess the team-first mentality that has since become so central to his roster building philosophy.

Despite his flaws, White deserves some credit

Despite the challenges associated with his presence in Tampa Bay, there are still a couple of reasons why the Buccaneers should be thankful for Devin White's time with the team.

First of all, White's immense talent being overshadowed by a lack of consistency, work ethic and teamwork helped to shape the team's current player evaluation strategy. That strategy is clearly beginning to pay off, with the team having won the NFC South Division each year since White's departure.

Secondly, regardless of how anyone feels about White's influence on the team, his contributions during his first couple of seasons in Tampa Bay cannot be overlooked. White was rock solid as a rookie, being named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In his second season, he was a menace on the field, especially during the team's playoff run. If not for Devin White's dominant play during that stretch, it's hard to envision the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl in 2020.