Rookie Player Profile: Kevin White

Zach Bahner

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Combine Review

  • Height – 6’3”
  • Weight – 215 lbs.
  • Hands – 9.25”
  • Arm Length – 32.625
  • 40-yard dash – 4.35
  • 10-yard split – 1.66
  • 3-cone drill – 6.92
  • Vertical jump – 36.5”
  • Broad jump – 123”

Video Clip

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Strengths

  • Great speed with the acceleration to pair with it
  • Runs good routes and more of the route tree than many rookies
  • Runs like a running back with the ball in his hands
  • Much better blocker than most rookie wide receivers
  • Prototypical size
  • Excellent footwork for such a big receiver
  • Catches with his hands and does not let the ball get into his body

Weaknesses

  • Has issues getting his body up in the air over defenders at times
  • Will have to get used to being jammed at the line of scrimmage
  • Lacks some of the polish to his game which Amari Cooper already has
  • Will now be competing with Alshon Jeffery for targets

Opportunities

After the aforementioned Jeffery, White should be next in line for targets at the wide receiver position very early on in his career. With only Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson seen as possible threats to keep him out of the starting lineup, chances are high he will be a starter immediately.

White also has Jay Cutler throwing him the ball. While Cutler may not be everyone’s favorite real life quarterback, he has lead has had three top 10 fantasy receivers in the last two seasons. While Bears fans call for his head on a near weekly basis, Cutler’s receivers are some of fantasy’s best. If White is able to get in Cutler’s good graces, he will make Royal and Wilson afterthoughts in this offense.

Threats

While White has a fairly clear path to a starting spot with the Bears, there are some real threats to his short term production. Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte will all command a sizeable amount of targets and Royal will see his fair share of looks in the slot in three wide receiver sets. There is a realistic chance White finishes the season fourth in targets on this team.

To compound the difficulty of fighting for his share of the targets in the passing game, the Bears have Forte in the backfield. The run game is going to be a big part of this offense. There will also be some competition from sophomore running back Ka’Deem Carey, rookie Jeremy Langford and veteran Jacquizz Rodgers. While the latter three won’t be a huge threat to White’s overall production and likely only two make the final roster, they are players who need to be considered when projecting his rookie production.

There is also the threat of a new quarterback taking Cutler’s place in 2016 – that could end up problematic if the new quarterback needs time to be groomed or lacks the necessary skill set to facilitate multiple pass catchers.

Short-term Expectations

While short-term expectations should be tempered, White should finish his rookie campaign as a top five rookie wide receiver in PPR leagues. He should flirt with 60 receptions, 750 yards and multiple touchdowns. I would expect a finish somewhere in the WR40-50 range with the possibility of being a legitimate WR3 if he can find the end zone often enough.

Long-term Expectations

In two years I expect White to be the most coveted fantasy player from the 2015 draft class. He doesn’t have as high of a floor as Amari Cooper, but his ceiling is higher. Cooper is closer to a complete player now, but White isn’t far behind him and still has many more areas needing polish. There is risk with White, but the potential rewards outweigh the other top rookie players. In fact,I would select White at pick 1.01 in most rookie drafts.

By 2017, he should be a top 15 fantasy wide receiver and I don’t feel comfortable saying that about any of the other wide receivers in this draft class. While I really like Cooper’s and DeVante Parker’s games, they don’t have the bells and whistles which denote the elite players at the position. White is the type of player who will flirt with 100 catches, 1,500 yards and double digit touchdowns if he fine tunes his game. Even with the threat of Cutler leaving and the other prominent pass catchers on the Bears’ roster, White could be the best fantasy player in this draft.

NFL Comparisons

Drawing comparisons between historical players is not my strong suit, but White is a bit of a mix between a taller DeSean Jackson and DeAndre Hopkins. He makes the same kind of electric plays as Jackson and has the route running skills Hopkins had coming into the league. Becoming as good of a player as these two is a tall order, but he could be as good as Hopkins and better than Jackson was in his prime.

Projected Range for a Rookie Draft

Typically, White has fallen in the 1.03-1.05 range, but he has gone as high as 1.01 and as low as 1.06 in rookie drafts I’ve seen. I like him as the 1.01, but getting him at 1.03 is usually safe. If you like him as much as I do, you’re going to have to trade up to the top pick if you want to be sure to select him.

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