But when Britt took over as the starter at Green Bay on Dec. 17 after White refused to rotate with him and was inactive, the Bucs defense started playing better, allowing an average of 16 points while going 3-1 to end the regular season.

Britt is best known as a downhill run stuffer. He had 19 tackles in his last four games. By contrast, he only had 13 tackles total in 2022.

“I just went out there and played ball,” Britt said of his first start. “I didn’t let the game get too big.”

What Britt lacks is speed. He only ran a 4.76 in the 40-yard dash. That doesn’t mean he can’t play fast. Film study helps him identify plays. But in this era of NFL teams spreading the field with four or five pass catchers, you need the ability to cover tight ends and running backs.

It remains to be seen whether Britt is a three-down linebacker or whether the Bucs will rotate him with another player, such as SirVocea Dennis, on certain passing downs.

“Obviously, he can play all three downs,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We have so many packages and guys to move around — it’s a little early to determine who will be on what. ... But he’s ready to play all three downs. I love his maturity. He’s grasping the mental part of the game and becoming the leader of that defense along with (David) and (Antoine Winfield Jr.) and Vita (Vea).”

Even though Dennis only played 101 snaps on defense as a rookie last season, he’s formed a solid bond with Britt.

“We’ve got an approach to the game that if we ain’t getting better, we’re wasting time,” Britt said. “It’s hot. It’s humid. If we ain’t getting better, what are we doing? We have accountability to each other and we just make sure we hold each other up because it’s ball at the end of the day.”

While Bowles has typically had both inside linebackers on the field for all three downs, his roster presents the opportunity to platoon Britt if he chooses.

David isn’t likely to come off the field.

But Bowles has talked about using “chess pieces,” players with the versatility to move anywhere on the field such as Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Winfield and Jordan Whitehead. That might allow Bowles to take an inside linebacker off the field in certain situations.

One thing is clear: Britt is ready to take over for White. He has a retro look to him, but the film doesn’t lie.

“K.J. is real passionate about the game of football and I just love to see that,” David said. “He’s always willing to get better. He’s always picking my brain and coach’s brain. That’s something I love to see. He’s definitely ready to take on that challenge. Right now, he has the opportunity to take the (middle) linebacker’s spot and so far, so good.”

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