JBB Draft Profile: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

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Jul 22, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Day at the Omni Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

With the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Raiders have an opportunity to fill one of a number of team needs with a high quality collegiate player who can come in and make an impact immediately, in the way Khalil Mack and Derek Carr did for the team as rookies last year. This high draft position also allows the Raiders to have a good bargaining chip to trade back and acquire additional picks in this years’ draft and future drafts, as was done in the 2013 draft. There are a number of positions the Raiders need help in and a number of top athletes they can take to get that help. Many have speculated that the Raiders may take USC’s Leonard Williams if he’s available, or Alabama wideout Amari Cooper. But one top athlete that hasn’t been speculated on much is another top college wideout: West Virginia’s Kevin White.

While Amari Cooper is widely considered the best prospect in this years’ deep wide receiver class, there are a few out there who believe that WVU’s Kevin White may indeed be the better NFL prospect. White, a New Jersey native and Pennsylvania high school product, spent his first two years of eligibility playing JUCO ball at Lackawanna College in Scranton while spending his free time developing his skills at a football training facility and rehabbing a shoulder injury.

After a solid 2012 season for Lackawanna, he caught the attention of some Division 1 programs, eventually settling on West Virginia. He caught on immediately at West Virginia, logging seven receptions and 80 yards in his first game for the Mountaineers – a loss to Oklahoma. White played well in his junior season for WVU, but didn’t put up huge numbers, logging 35 receptions for 507 yards and 5 TD’s. But after a long road trip with quarterback Clint Trickett before the start of the 2014 season, the senior White emerged as the Mountaineers’ go-to player for 2014, and a monster season came out of it.

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White, in the season opening loss to Alabama, showed up: beating up cornerback Bradley Sylve for nine receptions, 143 yards and a TD. In the Mountaineers’ next three games, White recorded 33 receptions (he had 10, 13 and 10 in each respective game) for 490 yards and two TD’s. He devastated Kansas – who’s defense included two corners who may be drafted this year – for 132 yards and a score on only six receptions, then eviscerated Texas Tech for 13 receptions, 123 yards and another score. The performance that really landed him on the national radar for the media and NFL scouts, however, was against Baylor.

In the Baylor game, White became the first receiver in college football to surpass the 1,000 yard mark on the 2014 season during a monster 8-catch, 132-yard, 2-TD performance as the Mountaineers won 41-27. Two tough outings against Oklahoma State and TCU followed before White’s next big game: a 13-catch, 132-yard day against Texas. White finished the season (after another solid performance against Texas A&M) with 109 receptions, 1,447 yards and 10 TD’s. He finished as the Big 12 leader in receptions (3rd in all of college football) and in 2nd place in the Big 12 in receiving yards.

Next: White Breakdown: Physical Attributes

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