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The Chicago Bears decided to part ways with veteran star wide receiver Brandon Marshall this past offseason after he had issues with the team throughout the majority of last season. He was Jay Cutler‘s favorite target, and following the trade the Bears knew that they had to go out and get Cutler another legitimate big play threat. Kevin White was a star with the West Virginia Mountaineers last season, and Chicago ended up selecting him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. It was a pick that many were predicting in mock drafts, and it is a move that could end up being one of the best pickups of the entire draft.
During his 2014 season with the Mountaineers, White ended up catching 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was dominant against any defensive back trying to defend him and was a leader for the West Virginia offense as well. White showed the ability to make plays deep down the field or across the middle, and he is exactly the type of dual threat that Chicago needed to replace Marshall.
White is heading into training camp with a very good chance to start across from Alshon Jeffery. There aren’t any other receivers on the Bears’ roster who can beat him out when White is playing to his full potential. He still has plenty of room to grow as well, which makes the future look extremely bright for the Chicago offense.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, White is a very physical receiver Cutler will grow to trust very quickly. Cutler is facing a boom-or-bust season himself, and he will have to figure out how to take the leap forward and be a legitimate franchise quarterback in 2015.
Outside of Jeffery and White, the Bears have Eddie Royal as the only other proven NFL target. He has a chance to give White a run for his money to start, but there is no question that White is the more talented all-around receiver. Chicago is investing a lot of time and trust into the young receiver, but he could end up being the most dynamic player to come out of the 2015 draft class if he continues working hard and reaches his full potential.
Needless to say, it will be very intriguing to see what type of numbers White puts up with the Bears as a rookie.
Training camp is going to be the stage that he needs to win more playing time and prove that he is capable of being a key contributor immediately. He will need to improve his route running a bit, but outside of that he already has a complete game. If he comes through with the dominant training camp that many are expecting to see, he will be a Week 1 starter as a rookie and will be well on his way to competing for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Expect to see White come away with a starting job when everything is said and done. He will excite the Bears and their fans with an impressive training camp and preseason performance.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
