Amari Cooper has the tools needed to be effective in Oakland.
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper went to the team where his skills fit the best, and that is the Oakland Raiders. The number four overall pick and first wide receiver off the board should be an instant stud for his new team. The Raiders have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL and Derek Carr seems to be the real deal. Why did the Raiders choose him fourth overall? Well, Cooper established Alabama records for receptions (228), receiving yards (3,463) and touchdown catches (31), along with fourteen 100-yard receiving performances in only three seasons.
With Cooper, the Oakland Raiders will be getting a receiver who is efficient in his breaks, and can sell them as well. He can be underneath or go deep – all route running trees are in his talent pool. He has excellent mobility, able to twist his body to turn to the pass and take it up field. He moves naturally and is able to make all catches. However, he tends to drop the easy ones because he has over confidence in his mitts. He will also struggle to squeeze the ball at the point.
Cooper has the intelligence to read the field and get the most out of his passing routes. He will charge at defenders to open up the throwing window for the quarterback. When zone coverage presents itself, he will sit and provide an opportunity to for the quarterback to throw him the ball. He may not be the fastest wide receiver on the field, but he can accelerate and get to the top of the stem quickly. Any gap given to him by a defensive back is closed quickly, and he has the quickness to separate from the corners.
Cooper has good tracers on the ball, can delay actions to decrease the time for the defender to react, and has great body control when reaching for the ball. Once he catches it, he will fight for the extra yards, but could fight harder when it comes to reaching the top of the stem.
Blocking isn’t his strong suit. He doesn’t dominate the cornerback, or drive them back to create space for the running backs, but can mirror effectively, and get into the frame of the defender to cause some disruption.
He is elusive in short areas and can usually get away from the first defender when the ball reaches his hands. Cooper has good foot control and creates a challenge for the defender to corral, and has good balance to spin off the tackle attempt. This increases his run after the catch (RAC) and plays a big part in his ability to take a short play and turn it into a long one. He will consistently gain RAC yards in most passing patterns. When he sees the quarterback in trouble he will come back to give assistance and provide a target.
Mike Valverde is a correspondent for FantasyPros, and he also writes for Fantasy Sports Warehouse. You can follow Mike @RFLRedZone and Fantasy Sports Warehouse @FantasySportsWH.
