Chicago Bears select Kevin White No. 7 in the 2015 NFL draft

There are few players in this draft class who will make Jay Cutler happier than West Virginia receiver Kevin White, whom the Bears drafted at No. 7

Doug Farrar | Apr 24, 2015

Chicago Bears select Kevin White No. 7 in the 2015 NFL draft /

The Bears reportedly tried to trade Jay Cutler to Tennessee to move up to the second overall pick, but since that didn't take, it's time for Chicago's front office to give a peace offering to its quarterback.

There are few players in this draft class who will make Cutler happier than West Virginia receiver Kevin White, the 6'3", 215-pound burner who can beat just about any coverage with his raw speed and vertical physicality. White is a bit raw in his routes, but he'll learn, and he's got special potential. He caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and the future is all upside. With Brandon Marshall off to the Jets, this was the pick to make.

• 2015 NFL draft grades: Pick-by-pick analysis and scouting reports

Strengths: Smooth, gliding receiver with an explosive top end for his size. Can flat-out win speed battles downfield against elite defenders by simply outrunning them, and the extra gear is truly impressive. Any defender who takes a misstep in coverage against him is asking to be taken to the house. Fits the prototype of the X-iso receiver who tilts coverage to his side. Understands how to win battles in close coverage by using his hands to quickly separate from the defender. Will win 50/50 balls with cornerbacks draped all over him by timing the jump and using his hands to outreach. Has learned to time those jumps and track the ball more consistently on deeper throws. Jukes his way out of press coverage and establishes release from the snap. Not a yards-after-catch monster, but does a very nice job of flipping his body to get downfield right after the catch. Has proven that he's more than the product of his offense—has the tools to change the offense of any team in the NFL. —DF

Weaknesses:Not a sudden route-runner—tends to take a bit too much time to turn his body to the target. Very fast in short spaces downfield, but he doesn't show track speed off the snap and into the route. Has had issues with drops, but improved in 2014. Not always willing to dive into traffic and make the catch when he knows he's going to get hit. Relatively limited route tree in college will have him learning at the NFL level. Blocking will need some work. —DF

Player Comparison: Larry Fitzgerald

Grade: A

Published Apr 24, 2015

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.