Race to the top of wide receiver class among top NFL prospects
In the race to become the first wide receiver picked in the 2015 NFL draft, Kevin White of West Virginia got a leg up with a couple of sizzling times in the 40-yard dash Saturday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
White, a 6-3, 215-pounder, was timed at 4.35 seconds and 4.36 seconds unofficially in his two sprints at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In a drill designed to track and adjust to a deep pass, White nicely extended his arms to cleanly snatch a pass from former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
White, who had 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, also was sharp in a drill called the "gauntlet."
Running the width of the field, he caught seven passes thrown at him rapid fire from opposite directions. The drill is designed to test whether players have trouble with drops and juggling catches. White passed the test.
With the No. 4 pick overall, the Oakland Raiders have a need at wide receiver.
Other wide receivers in contention for that spot are Amari Cooper of Alabama and DeVante Parker of Louisville.
Cooper, a 6-1, 211-pounder who caught 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, was timed unofficially in the 40 at 4.43 seconds and 4.42.
Parker, 6-3, 209, limited to six games at Louisville by a foot injury last season, had an unofficial time of 4.45 seconds.
The wide receiver who was the combine workout star of the day was Chris Conley of Georgia, rated the No. 37 receiver in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.
In addition to his unofficial 40 times of 4.41 and 4.35, Conley was superior in the vertical jump (45 inches) and the standing broad jump (11 feet, 7 inches). Those kinds of numbers, among the best ever at the combine, grab attention.
J.J. Nelson, just 5 feet 10, 156 pounds from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, had the best 40 time among wide receivers at 4.29 seconds. Phillip Dorsett of Miami was timed in 4.33 and 4.35, unofficially.
The combine record of 4.24 seconds in the 40 was set by running back Chris Johnson in 2007.
Cooper was smooth and quick out of his breaks during the morning session, plucking the ball with sure hands that are likely to make him a top-10 pick. The other receiver who jumped out was Dorsett, who projects as a dynamic burner who can take the top off a defense.
Contributing: Jim Corbett
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