Bears Upgrade Offense With Draft Pick Kevin White

By Benjy Lipsman in News on May 1, 2015 2:00PM

With the seventh pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, the Bears selected wide receiver Kevin White from West Virginia University. The pick was not unexpected, as receiver and defensive line topped the team's wish list.

Playing for the WVU Mountaineers in 2014, White caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014. While perhaps less polished than Amari Cooper, who went fourth to the Oakland Raiders, White has more upside potential than any wideout in the draft.

The New Jersey-native is 6'2 and 215 pounds and produced the best 40-yard dash time of all wide receivers at the combine with a 4.35 second sprint, and also benched 225 pounds a position-best 23 times. White's speed and strength means Jay Cutler has a versatile new target to throw to this coming season, as he tries to justify his big contract and a job with the Bears.

Speaking to the media after the team's selection, new GM Ryan Pace said of White:

We couldn’t be more thrilled right now. This guy’s dynamic, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s ultra-competitive. If I could stress one word for him, he’s competitive. You see it after the catch. You see it in the way he attacks the ball in the air. This is a dynamic playmaker for our offense. ...Big-play weapon for us. Competitive, tough player.

Pace and his staff still have a lot of work to do in coming days. The draft's second and third rounds take place on Friday evening, while rounds four through seven take place Saturday. The team still has plenty of areas to address, especially on defense. Expect to see some defensive linemen and linebackers added in upcoming rounds. We'll report back on Monday about the Bears' entire haul.