Why Amari Cooper Is Not an Elite NFL Wide Receiver Prospect
For some reason, it's become difficult to compliment players or prospects in today's NFL.
We've become a generation that is fascinated with the idea of a hot take that pushes opinions to the extreme for the sake of satisfying fans. It's gotten to the point that it is almost insulting to label any above average player as anything other than elite.
Nuance has been cast to the side, and different degrees of quality won't be entertained. This puts evaluators in very difficult positions, trying to explain the differences between players who aren't at either end of the spectrum. It's especially difficult at this time of the year when gauging the quality of prospects in relation to the rest of his draft class or the rest of the NFL.
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Amari Cooper is an ideal prospect to use to highlight this discrepancy.
In relation to the rest of his class, Cooper is clearly a top prospect. He offers a well-rounded skill set at the wide receiver position that will allow him to immediately make an impact in the NFL. Cooper's skill set can comfortably be compared to that of Jeremy Maclin or, with a greater stretch, to Antonio Brown's.
In relation to the NFL and other recent wide receiver prospects, Cooper is clearly not a top prospect. He doesn't offer the same upside as a Julio Jones or A.J. Green. If he had been in last year's class, he would have comfortably ranked behind Sammy Watkins, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans.
Cooper's most comparable class of receiver from recent classes is DeAndre Hopkins, not the first receiver taken in 2013 but the most impressive over the first two years of his career.
Comparing Cooper to Hopkins is a massive compliment. The Houston Texans player has a different kind of skill set, but his degree of quality has allowed him to catch 128 passes for 2,012 yards and eight touchdowns over the past two seasons despite playing in tough situations during both years.
Yet, that compliment pales in comparison to being compared to Jones, Green, Watkins, Beckham or Evans, so it will be received as a slight against the Alabama player. Outlining why Cooper isn't on their level isn't easy because it's not about having one significant flaw.
When a prospect has one significant flaw, it's easy to break that flaw down to highlight how his performances will be hindered on the next level. When the player simply lacks one great trait or is slightly less effective in everything he does, it's tougher to provide clear-cut examples.
One of the most important parts of Cooper's evaluation is properly quantifying his production.
Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin did an outstanding job of putting Cooper in position to make plays last year. He played to the receiver's strengths with his play designs, often putting Cooper in space to rely on his athleticism to be effective.
Early on against Tennessee, Kiffin was able to put Cooper in space with ease to set up an 80-yard touchdown reception. Cooper's route took him behind the offensive line after he initially lined up off the line of scrimmage. This meant that no defender had a chance to touch him early in the play.
Whatever Kiffin had seen on tape from the Tennessee defense before this game remained consistent, as the secondary offered no resistance to Cooper in the opposing flat after the play fake.
Cooper didn't have to work to get open or get the ball into his hands. Once he had the ball, he showed off his impressive straight-line speed and open field awareness to canter into the end zone. This kind of play is obviously impressive but not all that informative from an evaluation standpoint.
It's rare that a receiver in the NFL will be able to so comfortably run away from defenses. At that level, the opposition simply has better discipline and recovery speed. This is the kind of play that Tavon Austin could make with ease at the college level but has only flashed on occasion in the NFL.
Incredibly, Cooper had two 80-yard touchdown receptions last year that taught us very little about his skill set. The Tennessee one was a result of Kiffin's excellent play design/call, while the second was the result of a horrendously blown coverage from a Florida safety.
Cooper even had time to slow down almost to a stop in his route before reaccelerating to track a pass from his quarterback that floated inaccurately.
Against Auburn, he added a 75-yard touchdown reception that wasn't as easy as the two previous, but it was still surprisingly simple for such a huge play. Once again, Kiffin's impact was huge and obvious for anyone to see.
Cooper initially lined up in the slot. When the ball is snapped he runs straight forward, while the quarterback runs a play fake from under center. This play fake keeps the right-sided cornerback close to the line of scrimmage, while the defense plays some form of Cover 3.
Although that seems immaterial at first, it becomes important because the deep-lying safety eventually runs with the crossing receiver, who initially lined up outside of Cooper.
The development of this play put Cooper in a one-on-one situation with the left cornerback in space. While Cooper's route is precise, it's not notably difficult. He is essentially asked to beat the cornerback in a footrace, something he does comfortably before running under a perfectly thrown pass.
On 124 receptions, Cooper compiled 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. Those are obviously incredible numbers, but it must be noted that a significant percentage of his production came on plays where he only had to rely on his athleticism.
Whether it was the big plays highlighted above, the quick throws and screens underneath or the plays where he appeared to blatantly push off the defender, a large number of the plays Cooper succeeded on in college won't carry the same kind of success in the NFL.
That's not to say he can't still be effective on them. It will just be a lessened impact.
Focusing on the straight-line speed without considering what Cooper's other strengths are is what becomes dangerous. He is obviously a talented player, even if his status and production can be a bit misleading. His footwork is what is most impressive.
Cooper uses hesitation to great effect. Because he's not built like your typical quick-footed receiver, he isn't concerned about absorbing contact from a less-than-ideal body position. This means that he will expose his upper body while holding his position at the line of scrimmage before darting in a different direction.
As the above play shows, for cornerbacks this can be very difficult because they are anticipating a quicker decision. Often selling no movement can be tougher for a cornerback to react to than selling a more aggressive foot plant.
Once Cooper does decide to enter his route, he does so with great speed.
Importantly, that speed and precision translates through the breaks in his routes. Cooper is able to set up defensive backs in space by making explosive movements and selling fakes with his upper body. While he's not an exceptionally fluid cutter, he is a very decisive cutter.
This means that Cooper is better at setting up his deep routes or making defenders miss than he is creating space horizontally against athletic press-cover cornerbacks.
It's very important for Cooper's explosiveness and decisiveness to remain consistent in the NFL. He is going to have to win in that way to be productive in the NFL because he doesn't offer an added dimension with the ball in the air.
The 20-year-old receiver measured in at 6'1" and 211 pounds at the combine. He is not a big receiver, and he doesn't make up for that lack of size with above average ball skills. Cooper doesn't have bad ball skills—he understands how to track the ball and subtly impact defenders at the catch point to create space.
His biggest issue is his inability to elevate above bigger defenders to determine the high point of the football instead of waiting on it. That, combined with his limited leaping ability, hinders his potential on contested catches.
Whichever team takes Cooper is going to be getting a good football player. Someone who can start in the NFL for a very long time while being one of the more productive players in the league. They won't be getting a great receiver, though.
If a team wants to take on a greater risk for a potentially greater reward at the position, Kevin White makes more sense. However, there is value in taking the safer option who can immediately contribute in different ways.
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