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Position
Wide Receiver
School
Alabama
Size
6'1 205 pounds
Strengths
Cooper's burst and acceleration make his game. He can get off of the line of scrimmage in a flash and put an opposing corner behind the eight ball in a blink. He can beat press man coverage routinely off of the line of scrimmage without wasting too much movement. Cooper's feet are fantastic. He can beat you on his route with his top flight agility and ability to get in and out of cuts quickly.
Cooper has game-breaking acceleration and can separate with ease. That's where he will make his money in the NFL. He has more that adequate top end speed and has the ability to stretch the defense vertically. Cooper can track the ball very well, hauling in those tough over the shoulder passes while being hounded by a defender. He was used quite a bit in the screen game by the Alabama offensive staff, maximizing his open field ability.
Weaknesses
Standing in at a thin 6'1, Cooper isn't a physically imposing figure at the receiver position. He doesn't really show off a great ability to go up vertically and get the ball, although he is great on the ground. His lack of vertical ability is a concern, but he did flash plenty of ability to win on the "50-50 balls."
Cooper has had his fair share of drops, too. He dropped several easy catches this past season, likely because he's already thinking ahead of where he's going with the ball. It's a simple lack of concentration. It may be a result of the offense, however. Lane Kiffin dialed up screen after screen for Cooper, relying heavily on him to carry the offense.
Summary
Cooper proved this season that he could be "the guy" in an offense. He produced in every situation he was put in -- screens, intermediate routes and deep routes. Despite being limited vertically, Cooper still finds a way to snag the 50-50 passes. I don't think his hands are a huge concern, but you can't ignore the key drops that he had in 2014. He's at his best down the field, and NFL defenses will have to be very aware of where he lines up. Cooper's presence alone should open up other aspects of the offense. I'd look for his name to be called by either the Raiders, Jets or Rams come draft day.
Draft Projection
Top Ten
