Amari Cooper might be too good at what he does

In this column I will take a closer look at Amari Cooper, wide receiver out of the University of Alabama. For the purposes of this breakdown I used the guys at Draft Breakdown again to watch Cooper play against West Virginia, Florida, Mississippi State, Auburn and Ohio State. Those represented the first, fourth, 10th, 12th and 14th games of Alabama’s season.

If I were a head coach I would have Amari Cooper on my team right now -- today!

This kid is a bona fide play maker. Sixteen touchdowns, are you kidding me? Shit, he caught nine touchdowns just in those five games I watched. Oh, and he didn’t have any in the West Virginia game.

He has good size at 6’1, 210 pounds.

He catches the ball with his hands, always a plus for me.

He’s a very good route runner.

Cooper has a great feel for how to find the holes in zone coverage, and he gets off press coverage easily and consistently at the line of scrimmage.

He has shown the ability to get deep in a hurry.

Also, the ability to go up and catch the ever popular back shoulder fade even when the pass is well contested.

Oh, and he is physical too.

I’m saying, Cooper will definitely knock you on your ass if he catches you slippin’.

This guy is so polished I swear I would name him starter from day one without thinking twice. I would even go further and say, based on his film, I would be willing to bet you an ice cold Coca Cola that, barring injury, Cooper will play at least eight relatively productive years in the NFL. He might even steal a couple more to get to 10 years in the league, usually the goal most of us can only dream of achieving.

If you’ve ever read my breakdowns before, you know I’m rarely this positive about anybody, so I’m probably about to hit you with a cold ass “but” real soon.

For once in your life, you’re right!

The “but,” as it pertains to Cooper, is what I can’t actually ask our tech guys to make gifs or vines of , the not-just-good play but any electrifying plays from Cooper in those five games. I can’t ask them to do it because those plays don’t exist.

That’s not being harsh; that’s being real.

SB Nation presents: Amari Cooper and Dorial Green-Beckham run their burning 40s

Those top notch wide receivers I broke down last year who I felt should be first-round picks all had something in common: they all had at least one, if not several, electrifying plays in the games I watched them play. I’m talking the kinda play that gives you goosebumps every time you watch it.

Sammy Watkins catching a quick slant, eating the first tackle attempt like it was a McGriddle (those things are delicious!) and then turning on the jets for a looooong touchdown back at Clemson.

Mike Evans catching a wide receiver screen, mushing the defender into the cheap seats then house calling that bih for the Aggies of Texas A & M

The 6’5 Kelvin Benjamin hitting ‘em up basketball style and putting his family jewels all in a defenders face as he rises up and catches a fade over him for those FSU Seminoles just up the road from me.

All those cats had some oooooo weeeeee plays when I watched them last year. In contrast, I saw some “great job” type plays from Cooper, no doubt, but never once in any of those five games did I almost jump out my seat and cuss when he made a play.

Shut up!

I already know what you’re about to say.

“But Steve, he does amazing shit, he’s just so smoooooth with it that it doesn’t look the same.” *in a very whiny voice*

Get out here with that, mane. *points to the door*

You really think I didn’t go back to re-watch those games to see if I missed something?

The dude caught 124 balls for 1,727 yards and 16 friggin’ touchdowns this past season and won pretty much every collegiate wide receiver award. And, keeping it one hunnit, let’s also add that he did all that shit with a pretty erratic quarterback (Two, technically -- remember when they were playing the freshman, too?). You really think I’m going to say this dude isn’t elite with those kinda stats and with that kinda QB without taking a second look? (Actually, it was like four more looks just to be safe).

There just isn’t any there, there.

The closest thing to an electrifying play from Cooper in those five games was the go route he caught against Auburn with 3:30 left in the third quarter and Alabama down 36-27 at the time. The situation in the game, how dominant he looked on the play, the fact that he housed it even after being caught from behind, all conspired to give me a lil’ Chris Matthews tingle (Google it) for a few minutes.

Howeva! *Foghorn Leghorn voice*

(Speaking of Foghorn Leghorn, one of the funniest guys I’ve never actually met, Rod from the awesome The Black Guy Who Tips podcast told a joke today on Facebook about how he loved Foghorn Leghorn when he was a toddler, but realized after getting older that he was probably a slave owner. That’s had me giggling and sad all at the same time all damn day. Thanks, Rod! SMDH and LMAO!)

But, I digress...

Howeva! *Foghorn Leghorn voice*

Rewatching the tape, I couldn’t help but notice that he always seemed to get caught from behind on long passes -- seriously, scroll back up and watch the the plays up top. He does have decent speed, that much is for sure watching him play. At the same time, I’m also pretty sure he doesn’t have elite top-end speed, at least not on the field. He is probably a guy with a 40 time around 4.5-plus, which, functionally, is OK in my book, just not top-notch. The type of receiver that gets picked in the top half of the first round with that kind of 40 time should be at least 6’3 with damn near a 35-inch vertical or better.

Yeah, some of y’all have convinced yourselves that the 40 doesn’t matter at all, but that’s a damn lie.

It is true that it doesn’t matter as much for some positions as others. I don’t give a damn what your film looks like. A guy like that will end up taking back all that shit they bought with the money their agent advanced them with the expectation of being a high first-round pick as soon as the usher takes their ass from the green room at the draft and escort them out the damn door when the first round ends -- and the only people who called them is their family asking what the fuck just happened.

I’m so serious.

SB Nation presents: Ways to make the NFL Combine better

It is actually Amari Cooper’s polish that hurts him in a situation like this, I’m sad to admit. You would think the guy who goes out and works on his craft to the point of excellence while in college would be rewarded for putting in that kind of effort. Instead, most teams would rather pick the raw guy with tons of athletic ability in the first round figuring they can always “coach ‘em up.” I’m just telling you there are talent evaluators who work for NFL teams watching Amari Cooper’s film who will say that what they saw from him at Alabama is likely as close to the best you’ll ever see out of him.

I know because it’s exactly what I would say. And I, nor them, are probably going to be wrong.

Hell, what I see on film is pretty damn good, now. The Amari Cooper I see on film doesn’t have many, if any, holes in his game.

Cooper can run all the routes well. He has pretty good hands, too. I only counted three for sure drops in five games, with erratic quarterback play. He is evidently a student of the game, as you can see him recognize zone coverage (Florida 4:16) and work to get open. The guy never looks surprised by a blitz and, as I said earlier, he is physical as hell, which will probably take most receivers further than they have any right to go considering other deficiencies in their game, outside of having excellent hands.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Yes, I started this column off saying that if I was I head coach, I would want Amari Cooper on my team today. As a GM, judging by recent history as well as the current crop of wide receivers coming out, I would be pretty confident that I could get him after the 15th pick in the draft, maybe even later.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope the kid runs a 4.3 and jumps out of the gym this week at the Combine and edges his way back toward the top of the wide receiver pile.

I just don’t see it happening.

That’s the thing about the Giants landing Offensive Rookie of The Year Odell Beckham Jr. outside of the top-10 last year. Now some receiver needy teams will believe they too will have an opportunity to select a wide receiver of average height who has excellent straight line speed as well as elite athleticism outside of the top-10. (Beckham is 5’11, ran a 4.43, had a 38.5-inch vertical leap, and a 3.94 short shuttle, third best of all the wide receivers in his class). But a receiver who is also average height, but can’t do any of those things?

Well, let’s just say I hope Amari Cooper watches the draft from home on April 30.