Player Comparison: Amari Cooper vs. Kevin White
Misc.
Oct 4, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White (11) runs after a pass reception as Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Dexter McDonald (12) defends during the fourth quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Mountaineers won 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
There are a handful of important traits that I still wanted to touch on so instead of breaking up the article into too many slides, I’ll just include them here.
Blocking: This trait isn’t all that important, at least in comparison to others, but it is necessary.
Doing a full evaluation on both, White was the more willing blocker between the two, and he was the more capable one as well. Cooper would jump in and get his hands dirty, but his ability to maintain blocks isn’t as good as White’s. Advantage: White.
Body Control: This one is an easy call. White makes a killing winning jump balls, and his body control plays a big factor in that. He consistently locates the ball quickly and catches the ball at its highest-point, often having to jump and contort his body in awkward angles to make those highlight reel catches. Advantage: White.
Health: Any player in the NFL can get injured at any time, so there isn’t any exact science to look for. But Cooper has dealt with a foot injury while White has remained healthy throughout his college career. White also has the physique that can take a beating at the next level. Cooper has good enough size, but…Advantage: White.
Potential: White’s size/speed combination and big play ability will remind many people of players like Julio Jones or Mike Evans.
Cooper is a different type of player, who might end up somewhere between Jeremy Maclin and Antonio Brown.
Advantage: Cooper. And here’s why…
Cooper is nearly two full years younger than White (only 7 days away), so he still has more time to grow and develop physically. That, combined with how polished he already is, should make for a long, successful career.
YAC: White is a tough guy to bring down, and he always makes an effort to pickup the extra yards through contact.
Cooper can take a slant route or a bubble screen and turn nothing into something.
Both prospects excel in this area, but Cooper’s ability to pick up yards after the catch on more common routes gets him the nod. Advantage: Cooper.
Next: Conclusion: Amari Cooper vs. Kevin White