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Do the Bucs Have the NFL's Best LB Tandem?

Lavonte David and Devin White are among the league's best off-ball linebackers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw huge improvements on defense throughout the second half of the 2019 season, thanks in large part to the dynamic duo of Lavonte David and Devin White at linebacker.

David, the veteran captain and team leader, and White, the high-energy rookie, quickly established themselves as one of the league's better tandems at the position.

But are they the bests 1-2 punch at linebacker in the NFL? NFL Network's Kay Adams says so, and David himself agrees:

One of the most underrated players in the entire NFL, David has been a stalwart defender for the Bucs over his eight years in the league. A second-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft out of Nebraska, David's rare combination of speed, athleticism, instincts and intelligence have made him impossible for opposing offenses to avoid.

Many questioned why the Bucs would take an inside linebacker as high as No. 5 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, but White quickly proved worthy of that spot. After overcoming a knee injury that slowed him early in the season, White became a big-play machine for the Bucs, stuffing the run, getting after the quarterback, and getting the ball in his hands on multiple occasions.

Now that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are in town, the Bucs are loaded up with prime-time games on this year's schedule. More fans will now get a chance to see these two dynamic defenders, along with a host of other players who have long been worthy of national attention.