The Bengals Third Pick (4th Rd.): Marvin White, S, TCU

Strengths: Plays with a mean streak and can deliver the big hit. Takes adequate pursuit angles, plays with a good motor and shows good range. Reads keys quickly versus the run and fills hard. Times blitzes well, he closes well and can get to the quarterback. Is fast enough to cover the deep half of the field if he reads the play properly. Has the long arms to tip passes when doesn't get into ideal position. While footwork is inconsistent, he can change directions quickly and has the burst to improve his man-to-man cover skills. Times jumps well, is tall and competes for jump balls. Shows good ball skills and is a playmaker in coverage. Steadily progressed at the collegiate level and should continue to improve as gains experience.

Weaknesses: Much better run defender than cover safety, but he's undersized, takes too long to shed blocks and is somewhat of a liability when lines up in the box. Must improve his use of hands, hasn't shown the ability to redirect receivers or jam tight ends at the line and could get pushed around by stronger players. Lacks ideal awareness, gets caught out of position and ability to recover won't be as strong at the NFL level. Can be overaggressive and is vulnerable to play action. Marginal score on the Wonderlic Test.

Overall: White originally attended Kilgore (Texas) Junior College where he played the 2003 and 2004 seasons, earning All-American recognition. He then started nine of 13 games in 2005 after transferring to TCU, recording 67 total tackles including two for loss, five pass breakups, and three interceptions to earn second team All-Mountain West honors. White became a first team All-Mountain West (media) performer in 2006 after starting all 13 contests and posting 86 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

White is raw and his technique -- especially in coverage -- needs lots of polishing before he can push for playing time in the NFL. Furthermore, there are serious concerns about his mental capacity and ability to line up a defense. On the flipside, White is a tough, aggressive player with explosive power for his size. He also has the speed, natural athletic ability and motor to improve with good coaching at the next level. For those reasons, White is an intriguing middle-round prospect in the 2007 class.

Strengths:
Has good size and bulk...Extremely tough and physical...Likes to hit and can really lay the lumber...Has good timed speed, athleticism & quickness...Aggressive with a great motor...Terrific ball skills...Hard worker...Still improving and has potential.

Weaknesses:
Awareness, instincts and intelligence are questionable...Has some trouble getting off blocks...Doesn't have a lot of Division I experience...Is not the type who will be like an extra coach on the field...He still needs work from a technique standpoint.

Notes:
Earned 14 varsity letters as a prep: four in football, basketball and track and two in baseball...Was a JUCO All-American at Kilgore College...An underrated prospect who has the physical tools and could really surprise...Could end up being a steal.

White is an unheralded talent who did not get the media attention he rightly deserved as the leader of the secondary unit. The defense ranked 21st in the nation against the pass compared to 63rd the previous season, as White and his teammates allowed just 174.08 passing yards per game in 2006, compared to 221.17 in 2005. The entire unit seemed to jell around White, as the Horned Frogs ranked second nationally, allowing opponents only 234.92 yards per game in the safety's final season at Texas Christian.

White was named Class 2A Louisiana Defensive Most Valuable Player in 2002 after he led the Port Barre High School Red Devils to their first state championship. He was an all-state selection in both football and basketball at the school, earning a total of 14 varsity letters (four in football, basketball and track and two in baseball).

After graduation, White enrolled at Kilgore Junior College, playing football during the 2003-04 seasons for head coach Jim Rieves. As a sophomore, he totaled 63 tackles with four interceptions and eight pass deflections, earning All-America honors.

White also received first-team All-Southwest Junior College Conference accolades as a sophomore and was named the MVP of the Pilgrim's Pride Bowl. Rivals.com rated him the No. 17 junior college player and he was ranked No. 53 on the Super Prep JUCO 100 list.

White decided to enroll at Texas Christian in 2005, bypassing scholarship offers from Mississippi, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette. He appeared in 12 games that year, starting nine contests at "weakside" safety in the team's 4-2-5 defensive alignment. He started nine contests, including the final seven, ranking third on the squad with 67 tackles (47 solos). He had two stops for losses, three interceptions and a pair of pass break-ups.

As a senior, White was named All-Mountain West Conference first-team. He led the team with 86 tackles (56 solos), including one sack and three stops behind the line of scrimmage. He caused two fumbles and broke up three passes while intercepting four others.

In 25 games at Texas Christian, White started 22 times. He collected 153 tackles (105 solos) with a 12-yard sack and five stops for losses of 17 yards. He gained 82 yards on seven interception returns (11.7 avg.), deflected five passes and caused two fumbles.

Positives: Has a lean frame with good muscle development and room too carry at least another 10-15 pounds without it affecting his quickness … Has good arm length and large hands, showing good body control and extension to catch the ball cleanly outside his frame … Possesses the linear speed to close in a hurry and to compensate for a lack of good read-and-react skills … Has very quick feet, sharply turning out of his backpedal, showing decent knee bend and flexibility to stride to the ball with no wasted steps … Hard worker who is not afraid to compete for the ball in traffic … Competitive and aggressive tackler who needs to improve his overall strength, but won't hesitate to stick his hat into a ball carrier … Plays at a low pad level, extending his arms properly to wrap and secure when working in the rush lanes (but tends to get high in his stance making plays in space) … Has exceptional closing ability, planting and driving to the ball with fluid ease-of-movement motions … Uses his quickness to stay with the receivers deep and is starting to develop a better feel for handling the switch-off … Shows smoothness coming out of his backpedal and transitions out of his breaks cleanly … Has that extra gear to recover when playing deep in the zone … Shows proper rhythm jumping for the ball and adjusts well on the move, showing the eye coordination to keep track of the ball in flight … Understands his position well, showing no hesitation when called upon in run support, coming downhill with good urgency to generate pop on contact and fill the holes with authority … Has the range to cover the deep half of the field and has learned how to slant and take angles that will shorten his path to the ball … Efficient blitzer who is good at avoiding blocks on the move and, even when he takes a wide loop, he has the feet and closing burst to pressure the pocket … Has an excellent work ethic and coaches say the only way to make him leave the training room is to power down the lights.

Negatives: Size could be a detriment at strong safety, and with his quickness he would be better suited roaming the field at free safety, but lacks the ability to recognize the play in a quick and timely fashion … Exposes himself at times, as his leads tend to be a little long and he has just a marginal feel for routes, making him a liability in man coverage … Needs more than a few reps to retain plays and has struggled academically … Sometimes gets up on his heels before closing on his assignment in man coverage, causing him to be a step behind on his breaks … Good character type … Needs to use his hands more effectively in attempts to press or re-route the receiver … Will bite on play-action and gets a bit reckless in his pursuit when the receiver is able to get past him (needs to open his hips quicker).

Compares To: Robert Griffith, ex-Arizona Cardinal -- White might be a better fit at free safety because he lacks the bulk you look for in an NFL strong safety, a position most teams have him listed on their draft boards … He is a tireless worker who has excellent speed, but will get caught out of position at times because he is slow to read and react to plays … He is better playing the deep zone, as he needs to keep the action in front of him … Despite his valid quickness, he has not developed a feel for route progression to make a possible shift to cornerback … When he fails to react to the thrown ball, he will get a step behind his breaks, and is a liability right now in man coverage.

2007: Could not complete agility tests at the Combine due to right heel soreness.

Campus: 4.43 in the 40-yard dash … 330-pound bench press … 550-pound squat … 335-pound power clean … 4.39 20-yard shuttle … 6.98 three-cone drill … 9-foot-6 broad jump … 31¼-inch arm length … 9¾-inch hands … Right-handed.

Combine: 4.6 in the 40-yard dash … 1.65 10-yard dash … 2.72 20-yard dash … 33½-inch vertical jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times.