Pro Football Focus Ranks Bucs Linebackers
The NFL offseason is also the ranking season for NFL teams, including the Tampa Bay Bucs. And no one has more talked about rankings than Pro Football Focus, which is one of the most widely respected analytics sites around. In an ongoing series they are ranking not only individual players, but positional groups as well. In their latest piece they put together the 2023 linebacker unit rankings and the Bucs fare very well.
Bucs Rank Ninth In NFL
The Bucs have a favorable ranking, placing inside of the Top 10 at ninth overall. Here is what Dalton Wasserman had to say about Tampa Bay’s unit:
“Another case of an ageless wonder and a struggling young player with big potential. We’ll start with the veteran Lavonte David, whose coverage prowess over the last decade is nearly unmatched. His 85.1 overall grade and 88.0 coverage grade ranked third in second, respectively, in the NFL in 2022. David enters his age-33 season in peak form.
Devin White’s first four years have been more of a struggle. He makes the occasional splash play and has proven his worth as a blitzer, but his struggles elsewhere have given the Buccaneers pause when it comes to handing him a contract extension. Since he entered the league in 2019, White owns the lowest grade out of 59 linebackers who have played at least 2,000 snaps. He was excellent during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run in 2020 but has never found consistency otherwise.”
David’s value is well-known to Bucs fans, as are White’s struggles. The two work well as complimentary pieces. PFF’s rankings don’t get into the details of depth, but if they did the Bucs may drop from that favorable ranking.
