Every year in the NFL Draft, there are players that start off as “draft darlings” and make their way on to NFL teams big boards, especially with continued excellent play. Today’s report looks at a star from the west coast, who, despite inconsistent QB play, has continued to perform at a high level. Let’s take a deep dive into this analyst’s sneaky good receiver, Ricky White from UNLV:
A 3 star recruit by 247 sports, Ricky initially committed his talents to Michigan State University in 2020. During his true freshman campaign in 2020, Ricky hauled in 10 catches for 223 yards and 1 touchdown.
He didn’t appear in any games in 2021 for UNLV, which ending up being a redshirt year for him. After that, he elected to transfer to UNLV, where his first season he reeled in 51 catches for 619 yards and 4 touchdowns in his first year as a running rebel.
His 2023 season was his best yet statistically, with 88 catches for 1,483 yards and 8 touchdowns at UNLV. So far through 12 games in 2024, Ricky has caught 75 passes for 1020 yards, 11 touchdowns, while adding 4 returned punts for 90 yards and 1 touchdown as well.
Having been very productive while at UNLV, this analyst is curious on whether the tape matches the production and if this tape is translatable to the next level, so I took a deep dive, and here’s what I found:
Player Info (Heading 3)
Name: Ricky White
Jersey: No. 11
Position: Wide Receiver
School: UNLV
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 lbs.
Ricky White’s Strengths
Ricky is very dynamic with the ball after the catch, with build up speed and an ability to run through and around arm tackles of defenders. Ricky also has the ability to consistently win on vertical routes down the field and create consistent separation as well.
Ricky shows a functional catch radius on accurately thrown passes, especially when he has to work back to the ball on comeback routes as well. He also can read and manipulate defensive leverages and adjust his routes against various forms of man and zone coverage as well.
He also is a special teams contributor as well, having returned punts, and could also be used in the kick return and kick/punt coverage as well.
Ricky White’s Weaknesses
Ricky does have an undersized frame, at 190 pounds, and he may get pushed around in physical press coverage by larger, more physical defenders. Since he has this smaller frame, he lacks play strength in blocking in the run game, and struggles to sustain or create any movement in his blocks.
He does need refinement in catching passes over the middle, as he’s seen a few drops on passes thrown over the middle. He also does show stiffness in and out of his breaks, especially on short-area routes and in quick game concepts as well.
Draft Projection
Ricky is currently a day 3 projection on my big board, as his talent is top 100, but the undersized frame is a little concerning for this analyst. His current limitations in his game likely limit him to the slot and special teams early in his career while he develops and rounds out his game, but here are a few teams who would be all over the UNLV prospect in the NFL Draft:
- Los Angeles Rams (With Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell in the final years of their deals, Ricky White would be an excellent selection for the Rams, as he could slide into the slot next to Puka and Kupp, giving Sean McVay another weapon in his offense.)
- Miami Dolphins (A wide receiver who runs a 4.45 40 yard dash? Mike McDaniel will be all over that in South Beach. Putting him next to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will give Tua another weapon in this offense.)
- Arizona Cardinals (This one is the dark horse fit; Greg Dortch and Zay Jones in the final years of their deals, and the Cardinals needing a speedy weapon to line up with MHJ, if Ricky landed in the desert, NFC West defenses would need to plan for them in a whole different fashion.)
Any team who selects Ricky will need to get him into an NFL strength and conditioning program, as he will need to add size and strength to stay on the field, but his current skill set will allow for some electric, game-changing plays in an NFL offense. This analyst will be tracking where he lands, as depending on where he lands, he could be an early favorite for 2025-2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
My comparison for Ricky White: Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears/Atlanta Falcons
