Raiders Must Make Tough Pick Between Amari Cooper, Kevin White in 2015 NFL Draft

The Oakland Raiders have options with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. While it’s possible they draft a defensive player, it’s vitally important they give quarterback Derek Carr everything he needs to be successful in 2015.

For that reason, the Raiders should draft a wide receiver if they stay at No. 4. What isn’t clear is which wide receiver.

Trying to pick between Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White is tough, but the Raiders will have to settle on a favorite. How they go about doing that nobody knows, but they should consider every possible angle before settling on their top option.

Measurables and Athleticism

Since there are plenty of wide receivers Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was directly or indirectly involved in selecting, we can reverse engineer an athletic profile. After we know what McKenzie likes and dislikes in his wide receivers, we can see how Cooper and White compare.

The prototype based upon the available data for Brice Butler, Juron Criner, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Greg Jennings, Terrence Murphy and David Clowney is revealing. The average prospect drafted by McKenzie is 6’1” and 205 pounds with 32” arms and nearly 10” hands. They run the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds, the three-cone drill in 6.97 seconds and a short shuttle in 4.32 seconds. They broad jump 10’1” and vertical jump 35.5”.

Cooper is below average in arm length, broad jump and vertical jump whereas White is below average in hands size and nothing else. Both generally fit the profile, but White excels in more categories.

Measurable	Prototype	Amari Cooper	Kevin White	Cooper %	White %
Arm Length	31.83	31.50	32.63	98.95%	102.49%
40 Yard Dash	4.47	4.42	4.35	101.10%	102.73%
Three Cone Drill	6.97	6.71	6.92	103.82%	100.67%
Height	73.00	73.00	75.00	100.00%	102.74%
Short Shuttle	4.23	3.98	4.14	106.25%	102.14%
Broad Jump	121.38	120.00	123.00	98.87%	101.34%
Hand Size	9.96	10.00	9.25	100.42%	92.89%
Weight	205.38	211.00	215.00	102.74%	104.69%
Vertical Jumo	35.69	33.00	36.50	92.47%	102.28%
Average	-	-	-	100.51%	101.33%

However, it’s worth noting where the two do well and where they struggle. Cooper was strongest in the three-cone drill, short shuttle and hand size, especially for his weight. White didn’t move the needle as much in any category except weight, but he was solid across the board.

Edge: White

College Production

In terms of college production, Cooper has White beat by a wide margin. Cooper has three years of top college production in the SEC. White has one year of top college production in the Big 12.

In 2014, Cooper had 124 receptions for 1,724 yards and 16 touchdowns. White had 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. Considering the offensive differences between Alabama and West Virginia, this is actually a huge difference in performance.

Player	Conference	Rec	Yards	TD
Cooper	SEC	124	1724	16
White	Big 12	109	1447	10
Difference	Significant	15	277	6

Per Pro Football Focus, White didn’t finish in the top 10 in yards per route run last season, but Cooper was third overall and fourth against top teams.

Cooper also led the FBS with 174 targets and 26 missed tackles forced, according to Pro Football Focus. White played the most snaps in the FBS, but generally didn’t finish among the leaders in stats that measure efficiency.

White is a significantly better blocker, but it’s just not enough to bridge the gap that exists between himself and Cooper. This category is really no contest.

Edge: Cooper

Mental Aptitude

Measuring the ability of Cooper and White from a mental standpoint is a lot more difficult than measuring their performance on the football field or in shorts running drills, but it’s no less important. NFL defenses are far more complex than college defenses, and wide receivers need to be able to read and react to complex coverage schemes.

Cooper doesn’t turn 21 until June, but he has performed at a high level at Alabama for three seasons. White turns 23 in June and has just one year of top college production, partly because of a stop at junior college.

As far as learning how to play the wide receiver position, Cooper is not only two years more advanced than White, but also he’s two years younger. That gives Cooper a four-year mental advantage. White is just trying the catch up at this point.

Cooper also played in a pro-style offense in college. White played in a college-style offense, so he’ll have more to learn at the pro level. Throw in how much more refined Cooper is in terms of route running, and it’s clear there’s a significant mental gap between the two.

None of this truly measures their mental aptitude, but the fact Cooper has been so good at a young age hints at it in the same way as graduating from college at 19 would hint at book smarts. The mental side of the game doesn’t override the physical, but it does close the gap.

Edge: Cooper

Personality Profile

One of the factors every team has to consider when they bring in players is their personality. Will that player fit with the players on the team? In terms of wide receivers, they also must be able to get on the same page with the quarterback.

The best quarterback-to-wide-receiver connections typically happen when the two players have chemistry. Both also need talent, but the faster a first-round draft pick can get comfortable with his surroundings, the better.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

However, there’s also something to wide receivers playing with an edge. There are reasons many wide receivers get a reputation for being divas.

Cooper’s mild temperament might actually be a negative to some. He’s doesn’t do trash talk and he’s soft spoken with the media. White is much more assertive, and isn’t afraid of a little verbal sparring on the field.

"Well when you talk trash, you have to back it up," he said at the NFL combine via AL.com. "It puts more pressure on me to back it up and I love getting in defender's heads. Because once I do that, definitely game over."

White also said he thinks he is the best receiver in the draft. Cooper lets his play do the talking, but White will get into it a little bit.

"I don't feel like any receiver can do what I can do…Whether it's blocking, creating space, taking a tunnel screen to the house―I do it all. I don't feel like guys can do what I can do. I'm not saying that to be cocky, but to be confident. I feel like I'm one of a kind."

Will the Raiders favor a receiver with a little ego, or one with what seems like an absence of it? That’s a hard question to answer. Jordy Nelson is an example of a receiver who falls on the Cooper end of the spectrum. James Jones and Rod Streater also seem to have a more businesslike approach to the game.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with either personality profile, but the Raiders will probably prefer the businesslike approach of Cooper to White’s bravado if all else is equal. If nothing else, personality could break a tie between two very talented players.

Edge: Cooper

Risk and Reward

Ultimately, the decision comes down the more polished and NFL-ready receiver in Cooper vs. the bigger receiver with more upside in White. Teams thinking long-term will probably favor White, but teams needing to win now will probably favor Cooper.

After three seasons and 11 wins for general manager Reggie McKenzie, he needs to win now to save his job. With new head coach Jack Del Rio asserting more of a voice in personnel decisions, you can also expect a greater focus on players who can help the team win in 2015.

New offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave favored receivers with the ability to run after the catch when he was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota. He got the most out of Percy Harvin; the team then drafted Cordarrelle Patterson and signed Greg Jennings. That could also influence the decision toward Cooper over White.

McKenzie has used the draft in the past to take players that need development, but that doesn’t mean he’ll do the same here. Playing it safe might be the smart choice for McKenzie, because if his pick doesn’t help the team win in 2015, he might be gone in 2016.  

The Raiders need a receiver who can help Carr now, not in a year or two. Although White might be better in a couple years, if the Raiders don’t give Carr the weapons he needs now, it might not matter.

Although Cooper seems to fit the Raiders’ needs better, White is also a great option. If the Raiders are thinking long-term with this pick and are confident he can contribute enough in 2015 to make the pick worthwhile then White could very well be the pick.

It’s a tough choice because very little separates Cooper and White even though they are very different receivers. A team like the Raiders may opt for one over another based on something like offensive fit, personality or mental aptitude because they simply must find a way to separate the two.

Edge: Cooper