Amari Cooper to the Oakland Raiders: Full Draft Pick Breakdown

The Oakland Raiders have made their decision between picking defensive lineman Leonard Williams and wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Cooper was selected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft on Thursday night, and he’s the perfect fit for a Raiders team looking to help a young quarterback develop with a high-end, consistent receiving threat.

Keep in mind that wideout Rod Streater is on the mend after only playing three games in 2014. We often take injuries for granted because so many players return without showing signs of wear and tear. However, Streater is a burner on the perimeter. Foot surgery for a speedy receiver can be ominous.

In Streater’s case, it’s unnerving to know he was originally slated to miss four to five weeks but ultimately sat out the remainder of last year.

The injury could become a recurring issue caused by the way he plays the game at full speed. Streater will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2015, leaving no guarantee of his return.

Michael Crabtree is on a one-year deal, and he seemingly hasn’t been the same since his foot injuries. When examining Crabtree’s production, it's clear he’s nothing close to a No. 1 option:

Year	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Touchdowns
2009	86	625	2
2010	101	741	6
2011	115	874	4
2012	127	1105	9
2013	33	284	1
2014	108	698	4

At 31 years old, James Jones is past his prime and the sun is quickly setting on his career. He led the team's receiving corps with only six touchdowns but was second to Andre Holmes in receiving yards. Holmes is a No. 4 WR option at best. 

Cooper is needed in Oakland.

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He was consistent at Alabama even before Lane Kiffin took over as the offensive coordinator. He holds the record for most receiving TDs (31) in the Southeastern Conference.

Kiffin served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2014, and Cooper led the NCAA in three categories: receiving yards (1727), touchdowns (16) and receptions (124).

Some would argue Cooper’s numbers are inflated by design due to Kiffin’s play-calling. Nevertheless, if defenders know he’s getting the ball and he still can’t be stopped, that’s called being unstoppable. Alabama took its best offensive playmaker and dared defenses to shut him down. Cooper still flourished, leading the nation in three WR categories.

He has the makings a No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

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Cooper comes in as a polished 20-year-old prospect, two descriptive elements you don’t hear used in conjunction. He’s one year older than a teenager and runs a variety of precise routes that free him on the perimeter, up the seam and in the middle of the field.

Cooper isn’t overly reliant on freakish athleticism in an effort to make clean breaks. He’s a student of the game who plays with intelligence and instincts. 

With that said, he isn't a small, stiff WR either. At 6'1", 211 pounds, he has 10-inch hands and ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.  

The late Al Davis loved athletically gifted receivers, but general manager Reggie McKenzie picked up a technician playing WR. He’s versatile and could be used to stretch the field in deep routes, line up in the slot or fake out a defender on a double move.

McKenzie will receive heavy criticism for passing on Williams, but when Derek Carr and Cooper establish a solid rapport, it’ll be a QB-WR tandem to respect sooner rather than later.

The Raiders missed out on Randall Cobb but picked up defensive tackle Dan Williams in free agency. McKenzie seems comfortable with allowing Justin Ellis to develop next to Williams as solid run-stoppers.

Clearly, he felt there was too much of a void at WR to draft outside of need. No one should fault McKenzie for choosing to help Carr with the best receiver in this draft class.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and contract information courtesy of Spotrac.

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