Name: Kevin White

College: West Virginia 

Class: Senior

Position: Wide Receiver 

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 210

White earned All-Conference honors in high school at New Jersey before he went to play two years at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania.  From there he transferred to West Virginia and red shirted the 2011 season.  Until 2014 White’s numbers were modest on a Mountaineers roster that was sketchy from the quarterback down. 

However, his senior year he exploded on the scene when he let it be known he was one to watch after his nine catch, 143 yard, and a touchdown performance against Alabama.  He continued his trend poising as a threat week in and week out, putting up high numbers against teams like Maryland and Towson along the way. 

With no criminal background or off-the-field issues, White’s record is as clean as they come, and is why teams should feel good about investing a high pick into him this upcoming draft.  

What looked like raw route-running and trouble holding onto the football before, now was to be blamed on the inconsistencies of his quarterback, but since quarterback Clint Trickett has taken over White has emerged as one of the top receivers in all of college football. 

A physical bodied receiver, White uses his strength and body control exceptionally well as leverage when the ball is in the air.  With his upper body strength White gains good seperation on intermediate routes to give the quarterback a big window to throw into. 

In a league that craves mismatches, White has the size and speed to be a legitimate threat on the outside on a down-by-down basis, with his big hands that submerge the ball even when being challenged.  As with many players transitioning to the NFL, look for White to continue to grow into his NFL body as he works with more in depth trainers and a harder work regimen, likely making him even stronger in the future.

White’s “film” speed is better than his time on paper with enough explosiveness to be a threat in man-to-man coverage on a consistent basis.  While its being projected White will run around a 4.5 40-yard dash time at the combine, if he can improve that by just a tenth of a second then he will likely solidify himself as a top-15 pick.  

With a long and lean frame White has explosive separation skills with the ball in the air making him a legitimate deep-threat and an instant play-maker on the offensive side of the ball.  White does most of his damage in man coverage where he has the physicality and body control to create a consistent advantage on every play.  Not to mention White’s tremendous hands which he routinely uses to swallow up contested passes and you’ve got a big time weapon for any offense right now.  

Player Comparison:  Larry Fitzgerald, Torrey Smith, Brandon Marshall  

Projected Draft Position: Mid-First Round (10-25)

Best Scheme Fit: Insert Chip Kelly (just because)

Injury History: Missed a few games during his career but nothing major 

2014 Stats: 13 games, 109 receptions, 1447 yards, 10 touchdowns 

Final Analysis 

Kevin White put two years into JUCO school to “hone” his craft before finding success at West Virginia.  With two-years of NFL experience to “hone” his craft once more, its scary to think how good Kevin White could be. 

A tall lean wide out that has a rare combination of speed, explosiveness, strength, hands, and body control that adds up to a nightmare for defensive coaches and their coverage unit.  White runs with a strong purpose in his routes and does a great job while in contested situations using his body and hands, which is important due to the fact White doesn’t own much jolt in gaining separation.

While its not certain how blazing his 40-yard dash at the combine will be, with comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald, White is still clearly supplanted as the second best receiver in this draft behind Alabama’s Amari Cooper.  What White can do at the Senior Bowl this January as he lines up against some of the best cornerbacks in the country will be a big tool to showcase his skill set.