The Detroit Lions are signing former top-five pick Devin White, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
White was selected fifth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His career got off to a hot start, making second-team All Pro and winning a Super Bowl by his second season. But after four productive seasons with Tampa, things dried up relatively quickly. He signed with the Eagles in 2024, but never ended up playing a snap for them. Then, White jumped to Houston for a half season and played a full 17 games for the Las Vegas Raiders last year. In 2025, he actually finished third in the NFL in tackles with 174—just behind Detroit’s Jack Campbell. However, he has not traditionally graded out well by PFF grade. He’s never finished a season with a grade above 57.0, struggling both in the coverage and run defense departments.
This is the second linebacker the Lions have added in the last week, signing Troy Reeder just at the start of training camp. During Friday’s practice, rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder suffered a leg injury and did not return. At this time we don’t know the severity of that injury.
White will have a chance to compete for a primary reserve role with the starting jobs likely already taken by Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez. But with his experience and strong athletic profile, there’s certainly a chance he can make a run at a situational role on defense.
