NCAA Scouting – Player Profile: Patrick White, QB / WR, West Virginia by Jody Jamieson 27/2/2009
It’s an easy stereotype to focus in on a quarterback under 6′ 2″ and decide he’s too small to play the position. Typically they get written off and you just pray they have the speed to play wide receiver. Of course a lack of height didn’t stop Doug Flutie from eventually having a pretty good NFL career, and it didn’t hinder Drew Brees as he put up the first 5,000 yard season since Dan Marino. To be honest a couple of months ago I had Pat White down as a guy who had a decent arm, but was just too small to play quarterback in the pros. However the more I see him throw the football, the more I think he can be a legitimate NFL quarterback. Obviously it’s not going to happen right away and he’s going to have to run some routes on his Pro Day on March 12th to protect his stock and get on the field in the early going, but I love what I’ve seen of him as a passer and simply can’t write off a career under center for White anymore.
The Wildcat offense became pathetically diluted last year by teams copying the process without really understanding why it was successful in the first place. Obviously the element of surprise when Ronnie Brown beat the Patriots almost on his own made it effective, but the fact that Brown can throw the ball obviously helped. Add to that the fact that the Dolphins were clever enough to evolve it and find ways to get the ball back to Chad Pennington from a wide receiver position and thus they found ways to keep it new. Most other teams who adopted the strategy not only didn’t understand how to use it, but put guys in the shotgun who were never going to pass the ball, and all it tended to do was tell the defense it was a running play, and thus it was almost easier to defend than a normal play. Putting guys like Joshua Cribbs and Brad Smith back to receive the snap makes sense because both played quarterback in college and can throw the ball a bit. Putting DeSean Jackson and Jerious Norwood there makes no sense.
The senior class of quarterbacks this year looks about as unimpressive as it has in a long time, but from what we’ve seen recently the best passer of the bunch is Pat White. It’s been proven that quarterbacks under 6′ 2″ can be successful, even if it’s difficult. White has a good arm. It’s not a Jay Cutler arm by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s good. Think Jason Campbell or David Garrard. He’s accurate enough and he seems to understand the pro system more than most in this draft despite rushing a lot and playing in a spread at West Virginia. The comparison to Michael Vick is an easy one and people seem to forget how effective Vick was as a dual threat. I know it’s fashionable to pretend Vick didn’t exist after his misdemeanours, but he was so dangerous due to his skill set and Pat White has the same potential. Vick took the Falcons to the playoffs a couple of times and even got to the NFC Championship Game. White will run his routes and work out at his Pro Day as a receiver, but I hope whoever drafts him has the open mind to give him a chance to be a quarterback. Obviously we know nothing about his ability to play wide receiver as we haven’t seen him run a route yet, so we can’t judge him. But he’s gaining momentum and respect as a quarterback so it’s only fair to judge him as a signal caller.
What we like about White the quarterback
I love his confidence and his ability to stay unfazed. At the Senior Bowl and at the Combine he showed his ability to be a pro passer. He has a good arm and impressive accuracy. Throws a pretty deep ball. Good poise in the pocket and his footwork on play action is particularly impressive. Obviously has the legs to be a dual threat and can escape from pressure quickly. Looks comfortable throwing on the move and looks just as good throwing while moving left as he does moving to his right.
Question marks about White the quarterback
Size. It’s as simple as that. He’s under 200 lbs also which isn’t ideal. Even Michael Vick played between 210 and 215. Tended to rely on his legs too much in college. Obviously there were a lot of runs designed, but he escaped the pocket and ran too much when it wasn’t necessary. Isn’t experienced playing in a pro offense despite his success at the Senior Bowl. Was a bit of a fumbler in college.
Highlight of his college career
White is the only quarterback to win 4 consecutive bowl games as a starter in NCAA history. First it was a 38-35 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl as a freshman. Then it was a 38-35 win over Georgia Tech in his sophomore year. As a junior, WVU beat Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl. Finally in his senior year WVU came out on top in a 31-30 win over UNC in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Other snippets
In scouting terms he’s 6002 tall (6 foot and a quarter inch) and he weighed in at 197 lbs at the Combine. He ran a 4.55 40 and was praised for his passing skills in Indianapolis. White holds the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,385 yards. 507/783 (64.8%) for 6,049 yards with 56 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his college career. Was drafted in the 4th round of the 2004 MLB Draft by the Anaheim Angels. Everyone points to Miami as an obvious fit due to the Wildcat. I’d love him to end up in a place like Chicago or Jacksonville who may look at their QB options over the next couple of years. Look for White to be drafted at the end of Day 1, or early on Day 2.
NCAA Scouting – Player Profile:
The Wildcat offense became pathetically diluted last year by teams copying the process without really understanding why it was successful in the first place. Obviously the element of surprise when Ronnie Brown beat the Patriots almost on his own made it effective, but the fact that Brown can throw the ball obviously helped. Add to that the fact that the Dolphins were clever enough to evolve it and find ways to get the ball back to Chad Pennington from a wide receiver position and thus they found ways to keep it new. Most other teams who adopted the strategy not only didn’t understand how to use it, but put guys in the shotgun who were never going to pass the ball, and all it tended to do was tell the defense it was a running play, and thus it was almost easier to defend than a normal play. Putting guys like Joshua Cribbs and Brad Smith back to receive the snap makes sense because both played quarterback in college and can throw the ball a bit. Putting DeSean Jackson and Jerious Norwood there makes no sense.
