Vision: White’s vision is pretty good, especially between the tackles. He can set up second-level defenders well and adjust his plan to their movements accordingly. He takes what the defense gives him while also finding some hidden yardage and cut back lanes when needed.
Contact Balance: This isn’t White’s strongest trait. He has trouble running through arm tackles and just lacks some general pop as a runner. His upper body appears to be a little bit stronger than his lower body, as defenders attacking him low had more success bringing him down without a fight.
Pass Catching: White is one of the better pass-catching backs this class has to offer. He saw reps in the slot and clearly won with route running against safeties and linebackers. He’s got nice soft hands and is a threat to make things happen after the catch.
Pass Blocking: White has the size to be a solid pass blocker, but given the way, he takes on contact and lack of natural strength I don’t think he’s much of an asset here to NFL teams.
Durability: White doesn’t have any major injuries on his resume, and he clearly proved he could be a featured back this past season with plenty of touches and all-purpose yards to boot.
Change of Direction Skills: White isn’t overly sudden, but I would say he’s pretty smooth. He can make several cuts in a row and does a good job moving laterally without losing momentum. Don’t think he’s going to snap anyone’s ankles, but he’s good enough.
Long Speed: White checks the box in this area and has at least a second gear he can get to, but I wouldn’t call him a burner by any means. He’s decently explosive but needs a little runway to his top speed.
Ball Security: White had no fumbles this past season and didn’t put the ball in harm’s way when working through contact.
Creativity: White shows good creativity as a runner. He’s capable of creating yards for himself with good jump cuts, and he’s even got a pretty solid spin move he can throw at defenders for good measure.
Strength: White is a little underwhelming in this area. He doesn’t really push piles overly well and isn’t always falling forward for extra yards. I think he could use a little more strength in his lower body.
Summary: White is a shifty and smart running back, who will excel on third down in the NFL. He’s probably an inside zone scheme runner capable of making defenders miss in the hole and creating extra yards. He lacks good overall strength and contact balance, which do limit his ceiling a bit, but his strengths should be very appealing given the usage of backs in the NFL right now.
Filed By: Dante Collinelli, Director of Scouting
Twitter: @DanteCollinelli