With the fourth pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders have taken wide receiver Amari Cooper of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Cooper was the most prolific receiver in the SEC throughout his career at Tuscaloosa, catching 228 passes for over 3,400 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons.
2015 NFL Draft: Amari Cooper drafted by Raiders
After ripping up the SEC, Cooper hopes to continue his success at the next level.
Cooper is 6’1 and 211 pounds, giving his quarterback a large talent with top-end speed. At the NFL Combine in February, Cooper ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and was tops in both the 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle with times of 6.71 and 3.98 seconds, respectively.
At Alabama, Cooper never played with elite quarterback talent, getting the services of AJ McCarron and Blake Sims. Still, Cooper lit up some of the best defenses in the country. In 2014, Cooper was named a unanimous first-team All-American and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, after catching 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the conference in all three categories.
Cooper has drawn comparisons to a litany of star NFL receivers both past and present. Over at NFL.com, former general manager Phil Savage had the following to say about Cooper’s talent:
“Amari is super athletic, very fluid and highly skilled as a route runner and hands catcher. Because of his reserved demeanor and similar ability, I compared him to Marvin Harrison during the season.”
Cooper provides a deep threat and somebody who can run the entire route tree, coming from a pro-style offense. In his junior season of 2014-15, Lane Kiffin, former Oakland Raiders head coach, was brought in by Nick Saban as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Kiffin made it a point to take multiple deep shots to Cooper each game, with fantastic results. In 10 SEC games last season, Cooper eclipsed 200 yards on three occasions.
The Raiders haven’t taken a wide receiver in the first round since 2009 when they chose the disappointing Darrius Heyward-Bey. Cooper is less of a gamble because of his sure-handedness. He and Derek Carr surely will pair up for years to come.
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