The Great NFL Draft Debate: Amari Cooper or Kevin White?
Size and Build
While Amari Cooper is the more experienced and NFL-ready receiver of the two, Kevin White holds an advantage over him in an area that just can't be coached: size. And as our Associate Editor Brandon Gdula has recently shown, when it comes to wide receiver success in the NFL, size matters.
The advantages of size for an NFL wide receiver (assuming you aren't significantly slowed down by said size) are enormous.
It allows receivers to outmuscle defenders in press coverage, withstand hits and break tackles as they go across the middle, and outjump defenders for jump balls thrown into the end zone.
| Name | Hght | Wght | Arms | Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin White | 6' 3" | 215 | 32⅝" | 9¼" |
| Amari Cooper | 6' 1" | 211 | 31½" | 10" |
As we can see in the table above, White not only trumps Cooper in nearly every size metric, but he also possesses the ideal measurements of an elite wide receiver. His build falls almost exactly in line with the average height and weight of a top-five wideout from the past four seasons (6' 2" and 215.5 pounds) as reported in this analysis by Denny Carter.
And when we look at which wide receivers share the same build as White in terms of combined height, weight, arm length, and hand size a few notable names pop up.
| Name | Hght | Wght | Arms | Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin White | 6' 3" | 215 | 32⅝" | 9¼" |
| Martavis Bryant | 6' 3½" | 211 | 32⅝" | 9½" |
| Julio Jones | 6' 3" | 220 | 33¾" | 9¾" |
Kevin White's size metrics overlap almost perfectly with two other emerging stars of the league: Martavis Bryant and Julio Jones. True to form in terms of the correlation between size and success, both Bryant and Jones have already proven themselves touchdown mavens in their young NFL careers. Just last year in his rookie season Martavis scored 8 touchdowns in 10 games, including 6 scores over a four-game stretch. Not to be outdone, Julio himself has amassed 26 touchdowns in just 49 games played so far.
Similar to the pro receivers mentioned above, White has started to learn how to put his size to good use at the college level, demonstrating not just sure-handedness and superb body control, but also an ability to leap over defenders and high-point lobs to the end zone, as seen here and here.
On the other hand, Amari Cooper finds comparables to receivers with less physical reputations in the NFL, specifically Sammy Watkins and Jarrett Boykin.
| Name | Hght | Wght | Arms | Hands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amari Cooper | 6' 1" | 211 | 31½" | 10" |
| Sammy Watkins | 6' 0¾" | 211 | 32" | 9⅝" |
| Jarrett Boykin | 6' 2" | 217 | 32¼" | 10¼" |
While both Watkins and Boykin have had fairly productive young NFL careers thus far (Watkins himself almost hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark his rookie season last year), they have both produced less than ideal career touchdown rates. Watkins has scored just 6 touchdowns in 16 career games, and Boykin himself has only mustered 3 touchdowns in 39 games.
Many argue that where Cooper lacks in size, he more than makes up for with his great hands, aggressiveness in attacking the football, and impeccable timing as seen here as well as here.
However, the fact still remains that with his size disadvantage over White, he may have a tougher time replicating his red zone efficiency in the pros as he copes with facing the larger and faster cornerbacks of today's NFL.
While Amari Cooper is no slouch himself when it comes to overall physique, Kevin White finds himself in a tier just above his fellow NFL-hopeful. And in this case, it's easy to see why general managers and coaches are salivating over the prospects of landing White in this year's draft. They do so because of the immense potential his natural gifts and attributes afford him, with an eye toward selecting someone that could develop into one of the most dominant receivers in the game for the foreseeable future.
Advantage: Kevin White
