Four Tampa Bay Buccaneers that will shine as rookies in 2022

Rachaad White, RB, Arizona State

Leonard Fournette is locked into the No. 1 running back role, but after that, there is a clear path to snaps for Rachaad White. White began his college years with Mt. San Antonio College, a junior college in Texas. He excelled to such a high degree that the Arizona State Sun Devils came calling. White quickly leapt at their offer and went on to play extremely well during his time in Phoenix.

White only appeared in four games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but averaged a ridiculous 10 yards per carry on 42 attempts. He scored on five of those carries. His senior season saw White reach 1000 rushing yards on the dot. On 182 carries across 11 games, the multi-faceted running back averaged 5.5 yards per carry. This time he found the end zone 15 times, showing how much of a threat he is in the red zone even with his slim frame.

Where White truly stood out was in the passing game. This trait is what will make him a regular member of fantasy football squads everywhere. White caught 51 career passes at Arizona State, averaging 11.9 yards per catch. That may not sound too exciting, but just wait until you see the way he’s utilized in the NFL. James White is a completely different body type, but Rachaad should seem similar usage that James saw during Tom Brady’s time in New England.

Veteran Giovanni Bernard and youngster Ke’Shawn Vaughn simply do not possess the upside that Rachaad White does. Leonard Fournette has reportedly dealt with some weight issues this off-season. It’s unlikely that will hamper Fournette when the season begins, but it is worth monitoring. White is going to catch a lot of passes in 2022, and he will be ready to assume the bulk of the carries if Fournette goes down via injury or fails to produce at a high enough clip.

Cade Otton, TE, Washington

Tom Brady and Robert Gronkowski formed one of the most fearsome quarterback-to-pass-catcher tandems over the last decade. Now, Gronkowski is retired (for now). Brady has been able to make the most of any tight end, so don’t ring the alarms just yet. The Bucs signed veteran Kyle Rudolph recently, and still have Cameron Brate in tow. OJ Howard moved on to the Buffalo Bills this off-season, so there’s no real youth to speak of at the position… aside from one guy.

Washington’s Cade Otton was unable to participate in the pre-draft process after undergoing an ankle surgery. This heavily impacted his draft status. Rather than going on day two, as was expected when Otton was healthy, he fell to the fourth round. The Bucs quickly positioned themselves to take the former Husky tight end, seeing a potential long-term option for the future.

Otton is the type of all-around package that offensive coaches beg for at tight end. He is a very committed blocker, and is never afraid to go head-to-head with a much bigger defender. As far as pass catching goes, Otton is as good as any from this years’ rookie tight end class. While his raw counting stats aren’t jaw-dropping, he averaged 11.3 yards per catch during his time in college, showing an ability to be a consistent chain mover for the offense.

Tom Brady has no shortage of weapons to throw to, with an incredible quartet of wide receivers and Leonard Fournette/Rachaad White in the backfield. Don’t expect Otton to break any records, but he is going to win the No. 2 role at some point and might even challenge Rudolph for starter reps by seasons end. Gronkowski slid down the draft board due to a lingering injury, and Brady made him a superstar. Can he do the same with Cade Otton?