The Las Vegas Raiders made quite the gamble this offseason when they let Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo walk in free agency. To replace them, the team went to the clearance rack and signed Elandon Roberts and Devin White, the latter of whom was once among the league's best linebackers.
However, White came to Las Vegas on the heels of a shaky campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. His play had markedly dropped off since being an All-Pro and Pro Bowl-level player who helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win a Super Bowl.
Many thought that, with the signing of Germaine Pratt, Jamal Adams and the drafting of Cody Lindenberg, perhaps White was always destined to be a training camp body, especially because his contract had no guarantees. But White has played every single defensive snap for Las Vegas in 2025.
LeSean McCoy may be exaggerating about Devin White's revival
LeSean McCoy, a legendary NFL running back who is now an analyst on Fox Sports 1, took to social media last week to acknowledge an Eagles fan account that essentially criticized the team for letting White go. In response, McCoy made a declaration about White that Raiders fans can only laugh at.
"Come back player of the year .. true dog"LeSean McCoy on Devin White
White has been perhaps slightly better than expected for the Las Vegas defense this season, but nothing more. As great a leader and locker room presence he seems to be, his product on the field is just nowhere near worthy of consideration for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
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Yes, White had two incredible performances in the Raiders' two wins. But overall, he gives up far too much in pass coverage, misses too many tackles and over pursues against the run, and he hasn't brought as much pass-rush juice as fans might have expected.
In 2025, he has made 87 tackles already, including 7 for a loss, as well as 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble, 3 quarterback hits, 2 passes defended and an interception. However, he has also missed 12 tackles and given up 287 receiving yards this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
While his PFF pass-rush grade is 34th out of 83 qualifying linebackers this year, his overall, run defense and coverage grades rank 76th, 78th and 70th, respectively. McCoy is honorable for shedding light on a nice comeback campaign by his former teammate, but White is still light-years from consideration for any kind of NFL award.