2015 No. 4 overall Amari Cooper is as advertised

May 8, 2015; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper (89) at rookie minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Work ethic

No matter how talented a player is, regardless of the sport, in order to be special, you need the work ethic too. Being talented or having a great work ethic can make you pretty good at what you do. But having both is what makes you special and while his talent was previously visible, Cooper showed his work ethic right away.

Carr told 95.7 the Game, “His work ethic is second to none. I was throwing with him as soon as mini-camp was over so we can get more reps in, and our plan was to throw a couple more times, but he texted me that night. He said, ‘hey, let’s throw at least three more times. I need to get this one route right.’ Just him telling me that kind of stuff, it blew my mind.”

Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. once dared to compare his work ethic to that of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice. Rice was probably the hardest working NFL player ever and a stickler for every detail. Carr’s story about his need to “get this one route right” definitely sounds like something Rice would say.

Next: Route-running