One of the most captivating pre-draft story lines of last season was the three-horse race at receiver between Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, and Sammy Watkins. This year, there is yet another trio of thoroughbreds expected to go in the top half of the first round.
Miami native and three-year Crimson Tide starter, Amari Cooper, amassed well over 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns during his career at Alabama. His senior season turned out to be his magnus opus, winning the Beletnikoff Award (given to the nation’s top receiver) and being chosen as a Heisman finalist.
DeVante Parker (who caught passes from Pepsi Rookie of the Year, Teddy Bridgewater) doesn’t have the distinguished resume that Cooper does, but he has shown the coveted ability to catch high-point passes that few others have -- resulting in 33 touchdowns on just 156 receptions.
Kevin White is the newcomer of the group, but it didn’t take long for him to burst on to the scene. Week one against Cooper’s top-ranked Alabama team saw White compile 143 receiving yards on only nine catches. White continued his torrid pace to the tune of eight 100-yard performances and one 200-yard game in 2015.
Like last year’s trio, there is little risk associated with these talented pass catchers. Still, teams will have to split hairs and determine where each fits on their respective big boards. Like the previous quarterback comparison, all three players will have tape extracted from draftbreakdown.com and be subject to a rubric of evaluation: separation, hands, movement ability, and route running.
Tale of the Tape
Amari Cooper
6’1” - 210 lbs.
Chosen opponents:
vs. Florida - 10 catches, 210 yards, 3 TD
vs. Ohio State - 9 catches, 71 yards, 2 TD
-Cooper had the distinguished luxury of playing against some of the nation’s best defenses. While considered a down year for former SEC powerhouse Florida, Vernon Hargreaves III is considered by many as a top draft pick eligible for the 2016 NFL draft. Against Ohio State, Cooper faced a defense that prepared a month in advance for him.
DeVante Parker
6’3” - 208 lbs.
Chosen opponents:
vs. Florida State - 8 catches, 214 yards, 0 TD
vs. Kentucky - 6 catches, 180 yards, 3 TD
-After waiting seven weeks to recover from a foot injury, Parker wasted no time in getting back to form. Florida State had some of the best corners in the nation in 2014, including two NFL-bound players: P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby. SEC competitor, Kentucky, fielded a top-50 pass defense and top-100 overall defense.
Kevin White
6’3” - 210 lbs.
Chosen opponents:
vs. Alabama - 9 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD
vs. Texas Christian University - 3 catches, 28 yards, 0 TD
Bursting onto the scene against College Football Playoff contender,Alabama in the first week of last season, White took little time to make his name known. Similarly, Texas Christian’s Kevin White made himself known against his namesake. Here’s hoping for more White vs. White battles in the NFL.
Route Running and Separation
Fundamental to any professional pass catcher is the player’s ability to create separation from defenders. On film, separation remains one of the most perceptible traits found in the best receivers. While athletic qualities like speed, acceleration, and agility play a large part in a player’s ability to manufacture separation, proficient route running is just as important to the process. No player has shown more in this area than Amari Cooper. While playing in the slot or split out wide, Cooper displays both innate athletic traits and learned abilities to depart from defenders with apparent ease.
In both games, Cooper utilized off-speed actions and mis-direction to keep defenders off balance. An early first-quarter touchdown against Ohio State fully details Cooper's ability to string together movements to keep the defensive back honest. Cooper showed he is especially potent against zone coverage, where he is able to find holes in the secondary and flash his number to the quarterback -- showing great spacial awareness. If there is one aspect where Cooper may be criticized, it is his liberal use of push-offs and hand use to keep corners off him. While offensive pass interference is not something that is often called in the NFL, Cooper was flagged for it against Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves.
Although neither Parker nor White approach Cooper when it comes to the technical aspects of route running, they both possess the physical traits to separate. Unlike Cooper, Parker played almost exclusively on the perimeter. Parker, who is a legitimate 6’3”, showed the change-of-direction ability often found in players of smaller stature. He sinks his hips quickly and fluidly steps into his breaks. Against Florida State’s P.J. Williams, Parker sliced the grass and created ample separation against the future NFL-er, who was on his hip pocket only moments earlier. Parker is consistent in his ability to beat his man downfield, whether on go routes and skinny posts or deep-ins. Parker’s primary weakness is his inability to challenge defenders on chain-moving routes such as quick slants and hitches -- something he will need to improve on if he is to re-assume the true “X” receiver role he played at Louisville.
Kevin White, who easily has the most imposing physique among his peers, is much more authoritative with separation. Separating more vertically than longitudinally, White’s separation is less technical than it is visceral. Using his body to shield defenders from the ball is something common to the NFL’s top fraternity of wide receivers. Dez Bryant's and Calvin Johnson’s fight isn’t over when they can’t get by their man, and the same holds true for White. He’s also excellent on underneath routes, pushing off with strength towards the ball as it arrives. Still, White doesn’t portray the same consistent ability to separate downfield that is apparent in his peers. Against his Texas Christian’s own Kevin White (a cornerback of the same name), White struggled to gain ground as White anticipated his trajectory.
All three players project well towards the NFL when it comes to route running, but Cooper’s ability and experience has him standing above his peers in this regard.
1st: Cooper, 2nd: Parker, 3rd: White
Ball Skills and Hands
A receiver may have all the salivating athletic traits that elevate players into first-round consideration, but if they can’t naturally track the ball and catch it, they’re about as useful as the ball boy running up and down the sidelines. This was true for former 2009 first-round pick, Darrius Hayward-Bey. This isn’t true for any of the three players being discussed in this piece -- in fact, it is a strength of all three.
DeVante Parker displayed top-level ball tracking and high-pointing befitting of players of his ability. Utilizing his height, length, leaping ability, and confident hands make for a lethal cocktail for defensive backs. Parker gave Kentucky fits trying to contest his sky-walking nature. As the NFL utilizes more and more creative ways tip the odds in their favor on 50/50 throws, Parker’s skill set is well-suited to beat the house. Despite his ability to secure passes down the field, Parker isn’t quite as good in securing intermediate throws in traffic, and more physical corners can bully him at the line. Florida State’s P.J. Williams and Kentucky’s Fred Tiller made it tough for Parker on throws closer to the line of scrimmage such as quick slants and hitches.
Similarly, Kevin White is best when he’s attacking the ball in flight. While not quite the leaper Parker is, White uses his frame and dexterity to monopolize the airspace at catch-point. Against Alabama, the Crimson Tide’s defensive backs had no answer for White’s ability in the aerial game. A big part of White’s ability comes in his ability to position himself in a good place to make a play on the ball outside of the numbers, something Texas Christian’s Kevin White didn’t allow him to achieve. Perhaps one of White’s best traits is his consistency in catching the ball away from his body, and when it comes to competing for the ball in traffic, White is among the best, drawing 11 defensive pass interference penalties on the year. Of the two games evaluated, the only drop came from a rare lapse in concentration in the end zone against Alabama.
Against Parker and White, Amari Cooper is a different breed of receiver when it comes to catching passes and beating defenders. At 6’1” and 211 lbs., Cooper plays a more “below-the-rim” style than Parker or White, but he isn’t any less a player when it comes to catching passes. In a late third-quarter red-zone situation against Florida, Cooper showed he can beat corners in the high-point game scoring against Vernon Hargreaves. When comparing Cooper to his peers, he doesn’t possess the type of physical attributes commonly found in a receiver who wins in the red zone, but Cooper is no less a player in those situations. In traffic, Cooper showed the type of concentration rivaled only by his NFL counterparts.
All three prospect win in different ways with their hands and ball skills, not one being any better or worse than the other. With no discernible advantage for any player, it comes down to a matter of preference.
Tie
Running After Catch and Blocking
Although not ball carriers in a traditional sense, receivers in the modern NFL are expected to create when the ball is in their hands. Conversely, they’re also asked to participate in the offense even when the ball isn’t coming their way. All three receivers possess the type of play-making ability coveted by NFL play callers, but they have room for improvement when it comes to creating for their teammates. Partly due to his physical stature, no player stood out more than Kevin White when it comes to his ability to play make with the ball in his hands. Dana Holgorsen’s spread attack liberally allowed White to create on passes near the line of scrimmage. Early in the game against Texas Christian, White turned what is a negative play for many receivers, into a 20-yard gain. White runs with strength and momentum, making it difficult for secondary players to bring him down with mere arm tackles or swipes to the lower body. When blocking, White isn’t as physical and often either misses blocks or doesn’t block long or hard enough.
DeVante Parker similarly excels with the ball in his hands as White does, but his style veers more towards finesse than it does power. On an early third-quarter screen against Kentucky, Parker’s fluid mobility allowed him to elude four Kentucky defenders for a big gain. Earlier in the contest against Kentucky, Parker navigated through the defense with few blockers for a first down. While Parker isn’t as physically imposing as White, he is more natural dicing the field with sharp cuts and change of direction. When blocking, Parker gives the defensive backs no breaks showing a high motor and good effort. Kentucky’s Fred Tiller made it a point to compete with Parker all game long, especially on run plays, and Parker answered the bell to the tune of six catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
With a receiver like Cooper -- who has so few all-around weaknesses -- it’s tough to expect him to be a proficient blocker. While he isn’t Hines Ward reincarnate, he does show the type of involvement expected from a Nick Saban-coached player. Cooper helped spring two consecutive long run plays against Florida, one of which had a Florida defender planted firmly on his back. It does help that Cooper lines far closer to the line of scrimmage than most receivers, and he isn’t quite as good a blocker when in space, but it’s clear that he’s been trained well to interrupt his man. When not giving the ball to running backs Derrick Henry or T.J. Yeldon, the Alabama offense often targeted Amari Cooper in space. Jet sweeps and screens to the perimeter were a common part of Cooper’s offense due to his ability to use his speed to run away from pursuit. A holdover from his precise route running, Cooper has quick feet in space, keeping defenders on their heels.
While sharing a title, blocking isn’t quite as important a factor than running after the catch and can often be remedied with an increase in effort. White uses his substantial frame and straight line speed to his advantage, and while Parker and Cooper are better blockers, it’s a much more trainable part of the equation.
1st: White, 2nd: Parker, 3rd: Cooper
Final Take
Like last year, the receiver position is again well-stocked and one of the safest positions to select in the draft. And unlike in years past, receivers are ready to become immediate contributors to an offense from Week 1. Each player wins in his own unique way, and it would be tough to imagine a situation in which he does not find success in the NFL. The decision of which one gets selected first this Spring may come down to what type a player a team is looking for.
Parker is hard not to like. His skill set is reminiscent of A.J. Green and checks nearly every box in the physical category. In a vacuum, he may just be the best receiver in this class, but he does have a few factors working against him. A foot injury this year stifled his chances of achieving his first 1000-yard season, and while he recovered to full strength, he hasn’t had the opportunity to be a high-volume player. A reunion with Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota would be a great transition for him, but he’s the type of player who could flourish in just about any offensive system.
It wouldn’t be hard to form an argument stating that Amari Cooper is the best player in this draft. He has the experience, skills, and resume unrivaled by any other player at any position at this year’s class -- and he’s still only 20 years old. For a player with virtually no weaknesses to his game, it’s tough to level any criticisms on him, but the presence Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson, and others changes the equation. Quite simply, the prototype for the ideal receiver has evolved.
Few new the name Kevin White before the start of the 2014 college football season. As it turns out, the draft now has two Kevin Whites that will be selected and at least one in the first 15 picks of the draft. If someone would have a police sketch artist draw up an offensive coordinator’s description of an ideal receiver, the result would probably look something close to Kevin White. While he’s definitely rough around the edges, his nucleus is made of the finest ores. Even Michelangelo’s David began as a mere block of untouched marble, and that is what Kevin White is to his prospective employers.
1st: Kevin White, 2nd: Amari Cooper, 3rd: DeVante Parker