Amari Cooper to win NFL Rookie of the Year

December 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Situation

Cooper’s pedigree alone won’t win him NFL Rookie of the Year, any rookie needs the right situation. The most talented rookie in the NFL and NFL Rookie of the Year are two different things. The situation has to be bad enough for the team to count on him and good enough for him to function in.

The main ingredient for a receiver is a quarterback and an offensive line to protect the quarterback. Derek Carr is among the top young, up-and-coming quarterbacks that handled himself well last year. The big problem for Carr is that he had no weapons that can get open for him last year.

So Cooper scored big here with a quarterback that needs a go-to guy to throw to when he needs a play. And so far this preseason, the two have flashed, sometimes making big plays and other times missing each other. This is natural for a young quarterback-receiver combo but they will eventually figure it out.

Next: The early going