Silver And Black Pride
Diving into the veteran linebacker’s tape
Linebacker is one of the more interesting positions on the Las Vegas Raiders roster heading into the 2025 season. It’s an open competition at the top of the depth chart where Devin White, who was signed during free agency this offseason, projects to enter training camp as a starter. However, it’s fair to question whether he should be relied on for that role.
White began last season with the Philadelphia Eagles but never played a snap for the eventual Super Bowl Champs, getting beaten out by Zach Baun and Nakobe Dean for the two first-string spots before his release at the beginning of October. Then, the six-year veteran landed with the Houston Texans, playing in just seven games with one start.
On top of that, he struggled on the field. White participated in 176 snaps with the Texans, earning a 58.4 run-defense grade and 62.4 mark in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. What’s even more concerning is that those figures are career highs.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at where the 2019 first-round pick struggled and excelled while playing for the Texans last season.
Part of the reason White had issues in coverage a year ago is that his change-of-direction skills were subpar. That makes him hard to rely on in man coverage, as seen above.
The Tennessee Titans have their two tight ends at the top of the screen switch release, and the linebacker does a good job of passing one tight end off and picking up the other. However, he loses his footing while trying to pivot from left to right, leaving his man wide open for a first down on a simple short drag route.
This might seem like an isolated incident where White just slipped, but he struggled to get in and out of breaks on several occasions. The clip above is just the most egregious.
This time, White is split out wide against a running back on a go route. He tries to get his hands on the back to slow the back down—outside of the five-yard window, mind you—but it doesn’t work as the linebacker gives up separation and gets beat over the top. That sets up for an easy touchdown, had the ball been caught.
So, White gets bailed out on this rep, and it’s another reason to question his ability to play man coverage.
The veteran’s instincts against the run are shaky, which can often lead to him getting stuck in no-man’s land.
The Indianapolis Colts run a triple option in the play above, where the offensive line blocks as if it’s an outside zone run for the running back, while the tight end leaves the defensive end unblocked and works straight up to the second level. On top of that, the wide receiver at the top of the screen motions behind the quarterback and to the other side of the formation.
With the six other defenders in the box taking care...
