The Las Vegas Raiders have undergone quite a few changes this offseason, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after they crawled to a 4-13 record in 2024. While many of the big changes came on offense, defensively, the addition of Devin White, who was teammates with new minority owner Tom Brady during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could end up being one of the top under-the-radar moves of the offseason.
While Brady’s arrival in Tampa Bay played a big role in the team winning Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers’ sturdy defense was just as important. It wasn’t long ago that White was the anchor of the Bucs defense, but now, he finds himself with the Raiders, looking to get his career back on track after a series of failed stints across the league.
Devin White Looking Strong During Raiders OTAs
White broke into the NFL with the Buccaneers as the No. 5 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft. It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as one of the most disruptive players in the league, as he earned a Second-Team All-Pro honor in 2020 while helping Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl, before getting selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021.
Things began to go downhill for White when he started looking for a new contract from the Bucs. Ahead of the 2023 season, White requested a trade out of Tampa, and while it seemed like he would holdout, he eventually relented and returned to the field. However, his season was cut short due to injury, although rumors surfaced suggesting his poor attitude resulted in the team shutting him down.
White hit free agency and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2024 season, but he was released without ever taking the field for them. He later latched on with the Houston Texans, but he failed to make much of an impact for them over seven games. Now, he’s found his way to the Raiders, and while expectations for White have been tempered, he’s reportedly turned some heads during the team’s OTAs.
“In Organized Team Activities, White has flashed shades of his younger self,” Ezekiel Trezevant wrote for Sports Illustrated. “He appears to be quick off the ball. If he can stay healthy this season, White may be a pleasant surprise for the Raiders. While it is early, and there is still plenty of work to be done, White has looked good so far in OTAs.”
Raiders Hoping Devin White Can Make Immediate Impact in 2025
GettyTom Brady’s former teammate Devin White could immediately make an impact with the Raiders in 2025
It’s not hard to see what Las Vegas is hoping to get from White. During his prime from 2020-2022, White racked up at least 120 tackles every season, while also combining for 18 sacks during this stretch. If he can come anywhere close to producing at this level, the Raiders would be overjoyed since they only handed him a one-year, $1.17 million contract this offseason.
Of course, you can only put so much weight into what you see during OTAs, but the early returns from White are encouraging. And if he can continue to string together a strong body of work during the remainder of the offseason, he could end up being a key contributor for Las Vegas on defense after enduring a rough couple of years.
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