Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White is questionable for his team's Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers due to an illness, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.
White is the third Buccaneers player to come down with what the team has described as a “bug,” with wide receiver Mike Evans missing practice on Friday and outside linebacker Demone Harris missing practice on Wednesday as a result of the same issue.
White, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was selected by Tampa Bay with the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft back in April.
He spent three seasons at LSU, arriving at the school in 2016. He played only sparingly during his freshman year, totaling 30 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
White then broke out during his sophomore season, racking up 133 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception. He posted similar numbers in his junior campaign, registering 123 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, a couple of fumble recoveries and six passes defended.
The Bucs ranked just 27th in the NFL in total defense and 31st in points allowed last year, so White is expected to be a major addition to a defensive unit that sorely needs it.
The Buccaneers won just five games for the second straight season in 2018, resulting in the firing of head coach Dirk Koetter. The team hired Bruce Arians to take his place earlier this offseason.
Tampa Bay has not made the playoffs since the 2007-08 campaign, representing the longest active drought in the NFC.
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