Why New York Jets Absolutely Must Draft Amari Cooper

A new era of football for the New York Jets begins with a new general manager and head coach at the helm. What better way to kick-start the new brand of Jets football than with one of the top playmakers in college football?

Alabama's Amari Cooper is the whole package as an NFL receiver prospect. An explosive route-runner who never quits on a play, Cooper is as reliable as it gets at the position in this draft class. He has excellent hands, is able to make tough catches in traffic and is unafraid to go over the middle.

Cooper is not going to set any records in the 40-yard dash or jump out of a lineup with incredible size.

Instead, where Cooper separates himself is how he varies the speed of his routes to fool defenders and get open. He has a tremendous feel for where he is on the field, never satisfied to sit covered in assigned zones.

Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage spoke highly of Cooper to NFL.com, comparing him to an all-time great.

"Amari is super athletic, very fluid and highly skilled as a route runner and hands catcher," he said. "Because of his reserved demeanor and similar ability, I compared him to Marvin Harrison during the season."

At 6'1", 210 pounds, Cooper has good size for the position but is not going to overpower NFL cornerbacks like New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Cooper wins with his savvy ability to set up cornerbacks with subtle movements, especially at the top of his route. He is as good as there is in the college ranks at keeping his route a mystery to opposing cornerbacks. By the time defenders figure out where he is going, he is already gone.

Here, Cooper makes a great grab to reel in a touchdown with extremely limited space, showing great body control, awareness and a fine pair of hands to pluck the ball out of the air:

Credit: DraftBreakdown.com

Yes, NFL cornerbacks will be much more difficult to beat than the players Cooper has seen on Saturdays, but his natural ability to "feel" defenders and fool them with subtle movements will allow for a seamless transition into the NFL.

For a team that is still in need of difference-makers—on both sides of the ball—cutting down on developmental time will only allow it to ramp up the speed of its already-delayed rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, the Jets do have Percy Harvin on the roster, but his price tag—due $10.5 million in 2015, according to Spotrac—extensive injury history and poor fit as an every-down outside receiver make him a tough player to keep around in the long term on an pricey contract, as talented as he is.

Cooper, on the other hand, is built much more like a "classic" perimeter wide receiver. He would be a near-perfect complement to Eric Decker, bringing an extra gear of explosiveness to the position and the ability to line up on every down.

Even if the Jets keep Harvin around on a more reasonable contract, adding a player like Cooper should still be high on the priority list.

As talented as Harvin is, the Jets will have to exert a lot of effort to get him involved. A player like Cooper does not need a team to cater to him.

There are a lot of directions the Jets can go in with the sixth overall pick, and what they ultimately end up doing will hinge on what happens in the five picks before them.

However, if this Alabama star is somehow available when the Jets are on the clock on April 30, they should sprint to the podium and bring in the offensive star who will take what has been a dormant unit to the next level.

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