Kevin White Closes In On Amari Cooper At NFL Combine

With a 4.35 second 40 yard dash, West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White wowed the football world at the 2015 NFL Combine. He is putting pressure on the almost universally No. 1 receiver prospect Amari Cooper, who ran a 4.42. White also bested Cooper with a 36.5 inch vertical jump.

The NFL Combine is the type of event where prospects like Kevin White typically shine. White is an athlete first, football player second. Physically there may be no receiver more impressive than the perfectly framed Mountaineer receiver. The combine was his best shot to shine, and he took complete advantage of it.

Nov 1, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White (11) celebrates with wide receiver Mario Alford (5) after a touchdown during the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

White is not a polished route runner. White, who took the Junior College path before getting to West Virginia, has a lot of room for growth in his game.

Cooper runs great routes and has the polish to be a top 10 receiver right away. Because Cooper has similar physical talent, the polished precision of his game wins more applause from NFL scouts.

White is a work in progress, but he has just as much upside (if not more) than Cooper. Both should be productive playmakers in their rookie season. Just like Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger will always be compared to each other because they were in the 2004 draft class, White and Cooper will always be remembered in the same breath.

They are competing to be the first receiver taken off the board. White made it a conversation, a debate as to who is the best receiver prospect. That is the big takeaway here. This was a huge day for him. The combine results give receiver needing teams a reason to go back to the game film and reevaluate. Consensus is now a debate and that in itself is a win for White.

Next: Debate For The Ages: Bill Parcells or Tom Coughlin?

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