Weaknesses:
Summary: Entering the 2014 season, White wasn’t on the radar nationally as one of the top receivers in college football. He started out his college career at Lackawanna College and transferred to West Virginia as a junior. In his first season for the Mountaineers, White had only 35 receptions for 507 yards with five touchdowns.
The senior took his game to another level in 2014 as he totaled 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. White ripped off a series of huge games before double-coverage slowed down his production in the latter portion of the season. Still, he made an impact and moved the chains for his offense.
White was a Combine star. He checked in bigger than expected and had one of the fastest 40 times of any wide receiver. White caused a stir when he clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. That was faster than expected and illustrated that White has the speed to stretch a defense vertically.
For the NFL, White is a future No. 1 receiver who could lead a potent passing attack. He has a unique combination of size and speed. White consistently achieved separation for West Virginia, yet he also made contested catches with the strength to outfight defensive backs for the ball. White can get downfield quickly while beating cornerbacks with his speed and burn defenses for long touchdowns. He’s too fast for safeties, and corners struggle to run with him as he easily gets separation out of his breaks. White is a deep-threat receiver who has the ability to work all levels of the field.
White is dangerous with the ball in his hands with the ability to take a slant to the house with his speed and open-field running skills. He ran a lot of routes that are staples of the West Coast offense, but could also fit in a vertical pro-style system. White has solid hands with good body control to work the sidelines. He will be an asset on the back-shoulder throws that are popular in the NFL.
In the 2015 NFL Draft, White is worthy of being selected in the top 10. He should hear his name called quickly on Thursday night. There were some rumors of White having off-the-field character issues, but after digging into that with league sources, teams are grading White as having good character and they feel those rumors were unfounded.
Player Comparison: Julio Jones. Jones (6-3, 220) and White are nearly identical in size. After some time in an NFL strength program, White will probably play around 220. Jones and White are both big receivers with speed who can make big plays downfield while also being physical in the short to intermediate part of the field. Jones was a top-10 pick in 2011, just like White should be this year.
NFL Matches: Oakland, Chicago, Minnesota, San Francisco, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Cleveland
There are a lot for teams that could target a wide receiver early in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The highest that White could hope to go would be the fourth-overall pick to the Raiders. Oakland needs a No. 1 receiver for Derek Carr, and White could be too good for the Raiders to pass up.
In the NFC North, the Bears could target White to be a No. 1 receiver after trading away Brandon Marshall. Chicago has Alshon Jeffery, but they may want another receiver. The Vikings could use a long-term No. 1 wideout for Teddy Bridgewater. Mike Wallace is a deep threat, but he may not be enough for Minnesota to decide to pass on White. Especially considering Cordarrelle Patterson had a down 2014 season.
It would be surprising if White fell, but he should still go in the teens. It is obvious that Cleveland needs to improve its receiving talent. Josh Gordon can’t be counted on in the franchise’s long-term plans, plus the Browns have to give their quarterbacks something to work with.
The 49ers could use more young receiving talent even after signing Torrey Smith. White would form a great duo with Smith in San Francisco. The Dolphins moved on from Mike Wallace, and White could be an ideal fit in the Miami offense. Similarly, the Texans need a future No. 1 receiver to replace Andre Johnson. Houston would most likely have to trade up for White.
Like Houston, Kansas City would have to trade up to get White. The Chiefs need to give Alex Smith more receiving weapons to work with even after signing Jeremy Maclin. Their top producer in passing yards last season was tight end Travis Kelce, and running back Jamaal Charles came in third. After cutting Dwayne Bowe, the Chiefs could use another receiver to pair with Maclin.
RELATED LINKS:
2015 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2015 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2015 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
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