Bears receivers coach Curtis Johnson believes 2015 first-round pick Kevin White has the physical skills of Andre Johnson and the hands of Reggie Wayne.
“Kevin White was one of the better receivers I’ve seen coming out,” Johnson said, via ESPN. “He reminded me of some of the guys I had in Miami. He reminded me of Andre Johnson. He’s very similar to him.”
The former Miami receivers coach (1996-2005) said White is “big and physical and fast” like Johnson, who has over 1,000 career catches and 77 touchdowns in the NFL. He’s made seven Pro Bowls and holds almost every major receiving record for the Houston Texans.
“That doesn’t all go together sometimes,” Johnson said. “But when you see a big guy who is physical, fast and athletic, you just wonder how good this guy can really be?”
White stands 6’3” and weighs 215 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and did 23 reps on the bench press at the 2015 NFL Combine.
Johnson, who also coached receivers for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL, compared White’s hands to Wayne—one of the most sure-handed receivers of this generation. Wayne currently ranks seventh all-time in total receptions with 1,070.
Now, it’s time to see White on an NFL field for the first time.
The West Virginia star missed his entire rookie season with a shin fracture. He should return at 100 percent for the 2016 season.
The seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft has the whole package at receiver. If his new position coach is correct in his own assessment of his receiver, White could step on the field and be dominant right away for Jay Cutler and the Bears in 2016.
