August 30, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) runs a route during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at O.co Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The recent release of 2012 No. 3 overall Trent Richardson shows there are no sure things in the NFL. Back at Alabama, he looked just like a sure thing that many saw as the next Adrian Peterson. But now, he’s in the process of taking his place among the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
Amari Cooper, also appearing to be a sure thing at Alabama, is the Oakland Raiders No. 4 overall. And all-time greatest receiver in NFL history Jerry Rice has compared him to all-time Raider great Tim Brown. But it’s already easy to see that he won’t meet the same fate that Richardson met in the NFL.
As a matter of fact, he looks poised to win the NFL Rookie of the Year for the 2015 season.
Turn the page to see why.
Next: Pedigree