White is the first linebacker the Buccaneers have drafted in the first round in more than two decades. The most recent was eventual Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, the 28th-overall selection in 1995 who would become a centerpiece to one of the best defenses in NFL history on his way to the Hall of Fame. The Buccaneers don't need White to land in Canton in order to improve on a defense that ranked 27th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed in 2018, prior to the arrival of Arians as the team's new head coach. Bowles, the Bucs' new defensive coordinator, is expected to install a very aggressive defensive scheme that should make great use of White's impressive speed and range.

The 6-0, 237-pound White was a star running back as a prep in Louisiana, rushing for 5,031 yards and 81 touchdowns in his career. Though he also played on defense, he went to LSU hoping to remain on offense only to find the Tigers' depth chart dominated by future NFL players Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice. He moved to defensive full time and earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 2016. He was a second-team All-American as a sophomore after leading the conference in tackles, then rose to first-team status this past fall before declaring early for the NFL Draft.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, White solidified his status as one of the top defenders available in the draft, running his 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and excelling across the board in the other drills. He was also the clear leader of an LSU defense, and his "Rover" position in the Tigers' 3-4 front lined him up in a variety of spots.