And with the 119th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers select…
Kyzir White was listed at safety at NFL.com, but he was announced as a linebacker for the Chargers.
That means the 6-foot-2, 218-pounder will be competing for snaps with Jatavis Brown, who struggled his sophomore year, at the WILL linebacker position, which makes this pick much more understandable. It was also a position Adrian Phillips played last year; he was average at best and is only under contract in 2018.
Position aside, he’s a really good player. He played the Spur linebacker/safety role for the Mountaineers and earned 2017 second-team All-Big 12 honors after finishing with 94 total tackles, 7.5 for loss, three interceptions, four pass deflections and two forced fumbles.
Matt Miller had White as his sixth-best safety prospect and an early Day 2 selection. I also thought he’d be taken much earlier. Here’s Miller’s analysis prior to the draft:
“Kyzir White wins with competitive toughness and mental processing that allow him to fill a variety of roles. He’s a relentless hitter who relishes opportunities to bang pads and will have no trouble transitioning to NFL contact. His size and athleticism are a blessing and curse, as he has the frame and skill set to be a moveable defender in the box but lacks the true speed to have a defined role in a defensive backfield. White’s physicality in all three phases is his calling card and will be the ticket to his earning an early starting role. “
An athletic, versatile big hitter? That’s the Chargers’ motto in this draft, and I dig it. White can also stop the run and hold up in coverage.
The Chargers continue to add pieces to the secondary, this time in the form of West Virginia's Kyzir White pic.twitter.com/syvJSJ6Xg0
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2018
Again, linebacker position group was a big weakness going into the draft. I can see a starting linebacker group of Uchenna Nwosu at the SAM, Denzel Perryman at the MIKE and White at the WILL. Kyle Emanuel and Jatavis Brown are great for depth.
Gus Bradley is going to have a lot of fun with this defense.