After the Buccaneers made linebacker Devin White the fifth overall pick of this year’s draft, head coach Bruce Arians said he “couldn’t be more excited” about the prospect of plugging the rookie in at middle linebacker.
White’s acclimation to life in Tampa hasn’t done anything to temper Arians’ excitement. The team has moved into the organized team activity phase of the offseason and White has stepped right into the role of defensive leader that the team had in mind.
“Devin’s not shy. That’s what we like about him,” Arians said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “He jumped out, [learned] the defense quickly for today’s installation and wasn’t bashful about calling the defense and getting everybody lined up.”
Arians wasn’t the only one taking note of White’s willingness to jump right into the middle of the fray. Linebacker Lavonte David called it “really amazing to see” a rookie being the voice of the defense and called the former LSU star “more than ready” to contribute right off the bat. Barring any injury, White will be front and center in Tampa come September.