There were several strong showings by the skill position players Saturday at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, but it can be argued that nobody was more impressive than wide receiver Kevin White.
The former West Virginia star dominated most drills, including the mystical 40-yard dash. White showed off his elite speed to the scouts and talent evaluators in attendance, and it is quite possible that he is now in the discussion to be the first pass-catcher off the board on April 30.
White will continue to jockey for position with Alabama's Amari Cooper and Louisville's DeVante Parker between now and draft night, but from a raw skills standpoint, he has seemingly pulled ahead of them.
Here is a closer look at all of White's numbers from the combine, including his impressive 40 time:
| 6'3" | 215 lbs. | 32 5/8" | 9 1/4" |
| 4.35 | 23 | 36.5" | 123" |
NFL.com
White had a spectacular senior year with the Mountaineers this past season as he caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. Much of that was due to his size and leaping ability, but he showed a penchant for simply outrunning defenders as well.
That was on full display at the combine in the form of a 4.35-second jaunt in the 40-yard dash, according to NFL Network on Twitter:
White seemingly entered the combine with a chip on his shoulder as he believed that some pundits didn't think he was among the fastest wideouts in the draft, per Doug Farrar of SI.com:
According to Eric Edholm of Yahoo.com, White knew that his 40 time was something that could truly set him apart from the rest of the competition and silence some critics in the process.
"I think it's going to be the most important part in my (evaluation)," White said. "I think some people expect me to run slow. I don't know what they think I'll run, but it's probably slower than what I am actually going to run."
While White proved his detractors wrong, he may also have made others look like geniuses. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, who ranked White as one of the best prospects in the draft prior to the combine, feels vindicated after seeing White's blazing speed:
The 40 time is something that has caught the attention of many, but Jeremiah points out that there is much more to White than that:
Jeremiah has been one of White's biggest supporters throughout the draft process thus far, but the same can be said for his former West Virginia teammate, Mario Alford.
Per Dan Brugler of CBSSports.com, Alford believes that White is the total package:
That was apparent Saturday as White showed proficiency in several different drills. Not only is he among the fastest receivers in this draft class, but he is also the strongest after putting 23 reps on the bench press, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com:
White's all-around performance unquestionably opened some eyes Saturday, and Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee astutely made mention of the possible financial ramifications:
After so many wide receivers made an instant impact as rookies last season, one can only assume that teams selecting high in the draft will be on the lookout for similar prospects.
Some may have questioned if White was a one-year wonder after his great senior year, but he proved Saturday that he deserves to be considered as the top wide receiver in this draft.
The combine enhances great prospects rather than making them, and that was certainly the case for White.
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