D.J. White NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Chiefs Rookie

POSITIVES

A three-year starter at Georgia Tech, and a team captain in 2015, D.J. White has the body type and coverage instincts scouts covet.

White is a smart, heady player with field awareness to put himself in position to make big plays, and his instincts are pro-ready. He's balanced and patient with the length (31 ½-inch arms) and toughness to jam up receivers at the line of scrimmage. White wins with effort in press coverage and should be considered an NFL-level prospect there.

White's coverage instincts are on point. He feels the route and knows when to break off and attack the ball. He'll ride the hip pocket of a receiver down the field and has enough of a mix of size, speed and timing to take away vertical and underneath routes.

A scheme-versatile, attacking cornerback, White has the goods to be starting in the NFL in two to three seasons.

NEGATIVES

Allowing four touchdowns to just two interceptions on the year is a concern when looking at White's tape. His six interceptions in two seasons looks better, but there will be concerns about his ball skills in the end zone.

A clean cover man in college, White has to prove he has the long speed to recover against NFL receivers. Without above-the-line measurables or speed, White is selling himself on instincts and technique, which can be a hard offer to teams obsessed with numbers.

In man coverage, White's biggest on-field weakness comes in his poor timing and agility turning to run. Against ACC talent he looked stiff and uncoordinated at times in his hip turn. If that's an unfixable issue, it will keep him off the field. Speeding up his turns requires not just better technique, but more flexibility in his hips, so it's not as simple as a coaching point for White in his rookie season.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'10 ⅞"

Weight: 193 lbs.

40 Time: 4.49s

3-Cone: 7.18s

Short Shuttle: 4.33s

PRO COMPARISON: Jamar Taylor, Miami Dolphins
FINAL GRADE: 5.90/9.00 (Round 4—Backup Caliber)