Amari Cooper Scouting Report
Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the fourth quarter of the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Ohio State Buckeyes beat the against the Alabama Crimson Tide, 42-35. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Bottom Line
Cooper is the best receiver in college football and the best pro prospect at the position period. He’s also the most pro-ready, coming from the West Coast offense, knowing the game at his position. His speed, power, moves, ability to get separation or go up and get one all in one man is a quarterback’s dream.
Speaking of speed, at the conclusion of every pro day, they allow underclassmen that are a year away from being eligible to run through the drills. And after Alabama’s pro-day last spring, Cooper ran 40-yard dashes of 4.38, 4.35, and 4.31 and reported it to NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread. If he runs anywhere in the neighborhood of that at the combine, he won’t be a poor-man’s anyone.
I bet anyone $10 to a glazed doughnut that if he even runs in the low 4.4s, he’ll suddenly have the “wow” factor. At the same time, they probably already know how good he’s going to be but the personnel world is playing poker right now. The unnamed personnel man is probably down in the draft trying to create doubt about him so he can get him.
And as for those drops, that was just focus from a kid that will be leaving to be a man soon. The kid has good hands so I would at all worry too much about his hands because he can catch. The man is a gifted receiver and if that’s what a team needs in the draft, they should go ahead and take him.