2015 NFL Draft: Amari Cooper A Top 5 Pick
By Erik Lambert
Oct 18, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) carries the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
It’s usually way too early to make snap judgments on players in October. For Amari Cooper though, it’s doubtless he goes high in the 2015 NFL draft. Why?
He is another Sammy Watkins or Tavon Austin
One trend that has really gained traction in recent drafts is teams shooting for the dynamic playmaking receivers. The kinds who are a big play waiting to happen. That is why Tavon Austin was such a hot draw in 2012 and why the Buffalo Bills traded up for Sammy Watkins back in May. While Austin struggles with consistency, Watkins has emerged as exactly what the Bills hoped he would be. Cooper, with his size and speed dimensions, is very much similar to those two pass catchers which is why he’ll likely garner the same attention.
He passed Julio Jones all time in Alabama receiving
If that weren’t enough, the stats certainly help. With the recent victory by the Crimson Tide, Cooper set a team record with 224 yards on nine catches. It marks his second 200-yard game of the season in which he’s compiled 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. On top of that, the perfomance broke the mark set by another Tide legend by the name of Julio Jones. He’s gone on to have a pretty good career so far in the pros.
He can do this
The 2015 NFL draft may be impossible to predict, but it’s clear that all signs point to Amari Cooper going early. Very early.