Bucs Rookie Minicamp Roundup, Part II: Diamonds In The Rough

This is part two of our rookie minicamp updates. You can check out part one here.

Friday’s portion of rookie minicamp showcased the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ newcomers in the secondary, namely Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting.

The defense was good again on Saturday, but this time it was fifth overall Devin White and tryout David Kenney out of Indiana who stole the show.

According to Matt Matera of petwerreport.com, White made a very athletic interception over the middle that exemplified both his athletic ability and focus. It made up for the dropped pick-six he missed out on Friday.

But the story of the day, per Matera, may in fact be Kenney.

The former Hoosier is in Tampa Bay on a tryout and is making the most of his opportunity. There were several instances on Saturday in which he would’ve recorded a sack if players were allowed to hit the quarterback.

He’s performed so well that the Bucs have already given him an invite to Tuesday’s OTAs.

If Kenney can stick around, it’d be a major career shift for a player that never really found his way in college. A 4-star recruit out of high school, he appeared in just seven games his freshman year before taking a “personal leave” from the program before the 2014 season began.

Kenney transferred to Illinois State in 2015, but was dismissed after one season with the team. I couldn’t find any record of him playing elsewhere after dismissal, so I’d assume he has been out of football since 2016.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

According to Carmen Vitali of buccaneers.com, wide receiver Scotty Miller and offensive guard Zack Bailey both had a nice day on the offensive side of things.

Bruce Arians commented on Miller’s route running and how he “flashed” during Friday’s camp, while seventh-round pick Terry Beckner Jr. applauded Bailey’s toughness in the trenches when they would face off against each other in the SEC.

Miller originally drew comparisons to former Bucs wideout Adam Humphries when he was taken in the sixth round of the draft, but likened himself to DeSean Jackson on Saturday. Arians said that he can see the speedy wideout in a John Brown-type role, as well.

Vitali also mentioned Contrelle Simpson out of Richmond and Anthony Johnson out of Buffalo as receivers that had good days alongside Miller.

It’s encouraging to see players outside of the draft class making plays early on. While this is only the second day of rookie minicamp, the Bucs need able bodies and they need them quick.

This follows Arians’ “diamond in the rough” ideology he referred to when he was first hired by the Bucs back in January. He’s obviously sticking to his guns in that regard and hopefully there will be a nice payoff at the end.

Arians was also pleased enough with the two-day camp that he cancelled Sunday’s practices.

OTAs will resume on Tuesday, May 14th.