The Great NFL Draft Debate: Amari Cooper or Kevin White?
Power and Explosiveness
What do players like Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, and DeAndre Hopkins all have in common? Their success can in large part be attributed to the power and explosiveness they possess as wide receivers.
These skills grant wide receivers the ability to burst off the line of scrimmage and gain a step on an opposing defender, beat press coverage, or plant and explode to make the necessary adjustments on passes thrown away from their bodies.
And in line with Kevin White's superior size and build to Amari Cooper, it makes sense that White also excels above Cooper in regards to these attributes.
| Name | Bnch | Bnch PACE | Vert | Vert PACE | Broad | Broad PACE | Avg PACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin White | 23 | 0.144 | 36½" | 0.073 | 123" | 0.116 | 0.167 |
| Amari Cooper | 33" | -0.108 | 120" | 0.03 | -0.039 |
We see from the table above that when it comes down to the Combine events measuring power and explosiveness -- the bench press, vertical leap, and broad jump -- White exceeded every number set by Cooper in this sub-category. Yes, whereas Cooper actually scored -.039 PACE score in this set of events (meaning he actually scored below expectation overall in this category), White scored an impressive 0.167.
White's combination of power and explosiveness coupled with his supreme balance and concentration has produced a large number of highlight-worthy plays last season, including this one-handed gem here, as well as an incredible display of body control on this leaping grab.
When we compare him to the rest of the league, we see that Kevin compares very favorably with some other athletes known for their explosiveness and leaping ability, including Jordan Matthews and an in-his-prime and healthy Kenny Britt.
| Name | Bnch | Vert | Broad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin White | 23 | 36½" | 123" |
| James Jones | 22 | 34" | 119" |
| Jordan Matthews | 21 | 35½" | 120" |
| Pierre Garcon | 20 | 36½" | 125" |
| Kenny Britt | 23 | 37" | 124" |
Similar to the more physical wideouts listed above, such as James Jones, White's size, power, and explosiveness allows him to shed tacklers and make big gains after contact as shown on this play. He also possesses a key attribute in his ability to adjust to contact and make the spectacular play downfield as seen here.
Amari Cooper's numbers on the other hand cluster him with players known more for their speed and route running rather than an overpowering explosiveness.
| Name | Bnch | Vert | Broad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amari Cooper | 33" | 120" | |
| Kelvin Benjamin | 13 | 32½" | 119" |
| Jeremy Kerley | 16 | 34½" | 120" |
| Tavon Austin | 14 | 32" | 120" |
| Stevie Johnson | 32½" | 121" |
Sharing metrics with players like Tavon Austin and Stevie Johnson, Cooper still finds himself in good company as these player's have had success in making the jump and adjusting to the more physical style of the NFL. But at the same time it's clear that Cooper finds himself residing in a tier below that of White.
We can see from the analysis above that when it comes down to raw physical ability -- whether this be overpowering a defender and breaking a tackle, outleaping the secondary for a jump ball, or getting excellent burst off the line of scrimmage -- it's clear that White ranks above Cooper in this aspect of the game.
Advantage: Kevin White
