The Chicago Bears made an attempt to move up the draft board on Thursday night, but when that push didn't come to fruition, they went ahead and drafted the best player on the board as they selected wide receiver Kevin White out of West Virginia.
"We're really jacked about this," Bears G.M. Ryan Pace said of the pick. "This is a dynamic playmaker for our offense. I love the fire and energy he plays with."
White, a junior college transfer that ended up with the Mountaineers, had a stellar 2014 season, hauling in 109 catches for 1447 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a standout at the NFL Combine as well, running a stellar 4.35 40-yard dash and did 23 repetitions in the bench press.
"I had a good feeling -- a gut instinct," White told reporters after the selection. "I said it one time to the media but I didn't want to jinx it, but I had a good feeling. I'm glad my intuition was right. I'm glad an honored to be here."
When the Bears traded Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets, the team found itself needing a wide receiver, and in White they've opted for a guy who will give them a speedy option on the outside to take pressure off Alshon Jeffery in the vertical passing game.
"There are some people who wait for the ball," Pace said. "He'll go up and attack the ball. This is a competitive, strong player."
Pace said if he could pick just one word to describe White it would be competitive.
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The Bears said late Thursday that White will wear jersey number 13.
