Is West Virginia safety back Kyzir White a scheme fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense?
If you thought a White from West Virginia sounded familiar it does. Kyzir White is the younger brother of Chicago Bears wide receiver Kevin White. Kyzir followed the path of his brother from Junior College to West Virginia to the NFL. While he may not be a first-round pick there is some buzz around the safety prospect after a second team All-Big 12 season. What does he bring to the table, and does he fit into what the Steelers could be looking for?
Measurables:
Age: 22
School: West Virginia
Strengths
Kyzir White has a great combination of size and strength. It makes him a great option in the box. He is strong enough to hang in the running game and has the size to line up on tight ends in man coverage. White is able to blitz off of the edge.
He is also not afraid to lay the lumber. White is quick to diagnose and break up screens, misdirection and runs to the outside, as shown below. Then, when he has the angle and is in pursuit, he is ready to strike.
He also has good enough ball skills to get out in space. His best attribute is in zone, taking the short flats and underneath. He does a great job of jumping routes as shown below.
Weaknesses
He is likely to project inside as a rover linebacker type. His ability in coverage is questionable, and he does not have the hip movement and change of direction fluidity to handle speed over the middle.
The closer Kyzir White is to the line of scrimmage the better. He is not much a splash player, and had just three interceptions and four sacks over his two years with the Mountaineers.
Hanging in the box consistently or changing his role into the NFL would feature gaining some weight. He is a heavy hitter, but there are inconsistencies between the tackles. He is better in pursuit in laterally in this area. To consistently play near the line of scrimmage he would have to gain some down hill burst.
Pro Comparison
Morgan Burnett Pittsburgh Steelers
When you think about a great way to translate the skills of White to the NFL, you would think of what Morgan Burnett did last season. Burnett played near the line of scrimmage, guarded tight ends, running backs, and slot receivers. Burnett is quick to react and better in zone due to his limited lateral speed. That is where White is going to fit as well.
Fit for Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyzir White is an interesting fit for the Steelers given the team signed a player who would share a similar role as well. White is going to fall into the second or third round. The Steelers are still going to need a safety despite signing Burnett. However, signing Burnett does mean they can wait until the second or third round.
In his rookie year, he could fight for dime package time over Cameron Sutton. However, over the next two seasons, the team could phase him in over Burnett and give him the role they had carved out with Burnett. If Sean Davis works out in his move to free safety, the long-term future could be set at safety with Burnett as a bridge. White is a player worth looking into the Steelers and in the third round would seem like a great value pick.
– Parker Hurley is Pittsburgh Steelers team manager of Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @parkerhurley Follow @FPC_Steelers and Facebook.
