Baltimore Ravens 2015 NFL Draft Prospect: Kevin White
By Paul Frances
Dec 29, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Shaan Washington (33) attempts to tackle West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White (11) during the game in the 2014 Liberty Bowl at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Texas A&M Aggies beat West Virginia Mountaineers 45 – 37. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
With the Baltimore Ravens losing Torrey Smith in free agency, there is a definite need at the wide receiver position. They still have veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. on the roster but he has more years of experience than the rest of the receiving corps put together. It looks like Marlon Brown is set to see an increase in his role after Smith’s departure.
After Smith Sr. and Brown there isn’t a lot of proven talent on the Ravens roster. Second year receivers Michael Campanaro and Jeremy Butler, along with fourth year receivers Kamar Aiken and Aldrick Robinson, have shown some ability but don’t even have 1,000 yards receiving between all of them.
With the exception of Wes Welker, there are not many worthy Free Agent candidates that the Ravens should consider. And Welker is still undecided whether can even play next season following multiple concussions which may force him to announce his retirement from football. The Ravens need help at wide receiver and the 2015 NFL Draft is probably the best way to find it.
West Virginia Receiver Kevin White is someone the Ravens should certainly consider. White had an amazing final season at West Virginia with 109 receptions for 1,447 receiving yards and ten touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff award, given to the best receiver in college football. White set two school records at West Virginia: one after racking up seven consecutive 100-yard receiving games, and the other for recording the most catches in a game with 16 receptions.
At 6’3″ and 215 pounds, White has the ideal frame to play in the NFL. At the NFL combine White showed off his amazing speed with a blazing 4.35 second 40-yard dash. He also showed that he has great strength when he topped all receivers in the bench press with 23 reps.
White is a deep-threat receiver who has the ability to take any play to the house. He can easily gain separation out of his breaks, making it very difficult for corners to hold their coverage against him. He can play in a West Coast or a vertical, pro-style offense. White has great hands and the ability and length to make any catch on the field.
He runs with power, breaks tackles and can run through defensive backs. Due to his size he presents a mismatch for anyone trying to cover him and is a huge Red-zone weapon. White has good character and some say he has the biggest upside of any wide receiver in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Many compare White to Julio Jones. Both are big bodied receivers with great speed, athleticism, and strength who can make huge plays all over the field. If White can be as productive as Jones then he will be a huge hit wherever he ends up. If the Ravens can somehow snag Kevin White I think he will be a great compliment to Steve Smith Sr. That duo could give the Ravens one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL next season.
Kevin White isn’t terribly likely to slide all the way to 26 in the draft, but we will have to wait and see how things play out on draft day. Stranger things have happened, after all.
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