Amari Cooper has been a special receiver since before he set foot on the field for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Now that he has three years of college behind him, the sky is the limit. As a freshman in 2012, Cooper burst onto the scene with 58 receptions and 11 TD. In his sophomore campaign, he had a bit of the “sophomore slump” catching 45 balls with 4 TDs. With Lane Kiffin in control of the offense in 2014, Cooper burst through the ceiling with 124 catches and 16 TD.
Strengths
Doesn’t have high end speed but he has tremendous game speed and control of his body which allows him to avoid defenders. He also has great hand-eye coordination, isn’t afraid to go over the middle and gets to the ball at it’s high point.
Weaknesses
Drops. Has had a tendency to drop more than his fair share of passes. Needs to work on his sideline routes.
NFL Fit
Any team that needs a wide receiver. Cooper has the ability to adapt to any type of offense. He would be a great fit for the Rams at the 10th pick.
Draft Projection
Top 15 pick
Right now, Cooper is being projected between the 4th (Oakland Raiders) and 12th picks (Cleveland).
Conclusion
Amari Cooper is going to have a long career in the NFL, but he might not start out as a #1 target immediately. As rookie receivers tend to, he will probably have an adjustment period and he would be aided greatly if he was brought into a team where he was the #2 guy (although where he’s projected to go, that’s doubtful). Cooper has a good combination of size, athleticism and quickness and once he finds his game at the NFL level he will be a very consistent target for years to come. Some have compared him to Marvin Harrison in his style of play and he has the talent to live up to that comparison.
