Position: WR
School: Alabama
Year: Junior
Measurements: 6’1, 211 lbs. 31 ½ inch arms, 10” hands
Collegiate Stats: 40 games, 228 receptions for 3,463 yards, 15.2 yards per catch, 31 touchdowns.
Combine Measurements: 4.42 second 40-yard dash, 33” vertical jump, 120” broad jump, 6.71 second 3-cone drill, 3.98 second 20-yard shuttle
Other Notables: 2014 Biletnikoff Award winner, finalist for 2014 Heisman Trophy
About Cooper: Amari Cooper is one of the most NFL-ready players in the entire 2015 draft class. He is known as one of the smoothest athletes in the draft. Cooper has great acceleration but where he really impresses is his route-running. He accelerates in-and-out of routes so quickly that he puts defenders on skates. Cooper has the toughness to go over the middle and make the difficult catches. He carried the Alabama offense on his back last season, leading the nation in receptions with 124 and finished second in receiving yards with 1,727 and touchdowns with 16. Cooper had many focus drops during his career at Alabama with 13 in the past two seasons. While Cooper does have great acceleration, he does not have blazing speed as he ran a 4.42 second 40-yard dash at the Combine. That is still very fast, but not enough to run by NFL safeties with ease like he did at Alabama. Cooper also does not have elite size as he is 6’1. He won’t go up and catch the ball as well as someone like Kevin White. If Cooper can work on his drops, there’s no stopping him from being a Pro-Bowler.
Bottom Line: Cooper has the highest floor of any receiver in this draft. He can be an outside or slot receiver for an NFL team. His route-running, acceleration, and the fact that he tore it up against SEC defenses make him a clear-cut top pick, and the Raiders saw that.
Pro-Player Comparison: Marvin Harrison (Retired)