Alright so here’s how I actually dug into Rachaad White when the Bucs called his name. Felt like a total left field pick, honestly.
First thing, grabbed a huge coffee and fired up the projector in my garage setup. Searched through hours of his college games at Arizona State. Seriously, like way more tape than I’d planned.
Started noticing stuff the Bucs probably drooled over:
- That patience? Man, just waiting behind blockers before hitting the hole. Felt like he was moving in slow-mo while everyone else was frantic.
- Hands. Dude catches passes like a receiver. Snags everything, even bad throws low or behind him.
- Balance through contact is nasty. Doesn’t go down easy. Slippery.
But then I got curious. Why THIS year? Why HIM for Tampa? So I went deeper. Pulled up their roster situation. Fournette’s contract year, injured last season. Gio Bernard gone. Their run game was… not great.
Suddenly it clicked. Remember the Bucs offense? Brady tossing it short constantly before he left. Checkdown city. White fits that perfectly. They needed a cheap, reliable pass-catching back who can actually handle heavy snaps if Lenny gets hurt again. Brady didn’t even have to look down – just knew the guy would be there catching screens and flares.
Watched more Bucs plays. Kept seeing backs whiffing blocks or dropping easy passes. That’s when the alarm bells rang. White protects the quarterback. Solid in pass pro. Catches reliably. Doesn’t fumble. Suddenly the “reach” pick didn’t seem so weird. They were replacing a role, not chasing superstar traits.
Finished by comparing him to other backs in the draft. Better receiver than most. More proven blocker. Just a steady, reliable tool for that offense. Not flashy, but does exactly what that chaotic Bucs backfield needed done.
Bucs played it safe. Got themselves a Swiss Army knife running back. Good luck to whoever replaces Brady needing easy completions next season.