Will Amari Cooper be a Dominant Receiver?
In the 2015 NFL Draft, two highly talked about players were drafted at the one and two spots. They were Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Both of them are quarterbacks, and they are bound to be the center of discussion next season in regards to rookies.
As Raiders fans, let’s face it. These two QBs will likely get way more attention than our first round draft pick, Amari Cooper. Honestly, that’s just fine. The media can talk about and hype up Winston and Mariota all they want, but Cooper will quickly assert himself as offensive rookie of the year.
Winston is riddled with issues off the field, and Mariota might have a tough transition from Oregon’s offense to an NFL style. However, Cooper is a receiver out of Alabama who played for arguably the best coach and most disciplined team in college football.
If you’ve ever watched Crimson Tide football, you’d know that the team is a well oiled machine. They’re precise and deadly, and that’s exactly what Amari Cooper will bring to the table for the Oakland Raiders.
It’s incredibly exciting to think about how great Cooper could be for this team. So far in the offseason, Cooper has proven that he’s enthusiastic about meshing well with Derek Carr. Despite being a Rookie, Cooper asserted that the two of them should practice routes and passing even more than they already have.
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That’s the kind of work ethic that will give the Raiders’ motto, “Commitment to Excellence”, a meaning again. However, the hard work Cooper is putting into preparations for his rookie campaign is only have of why he could be great.
Amari Cooper is the most talented player from the 2015 NFL Draft, and he will win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Recently, the retired Raider and Hall of Fame inductee, Tim Brown, spoke with CSN Bay Area. In regards to Cooper, Brown said:
"“This guy is just a superb, great receiver and I think he’s going to be dominant Day 1. I saw him at the Heisman deal (Cooper was a finalist for the award) and I told him then that I hope he’s still there when the Raiders pick, because there was no way they could bypass him. I just thought that he was that great of a not-miss-type pick. I can’t wait to see him Day 1. I think this guy is going to be great.”"
If anyone currently doubts Cooper for the start of the season, their minds will change come week one. There hasn’t been a rookie in a long time who has been as focused, talented, and well prepared as Cooper is for the NFL. Yes, Cooper will start as the Raiders’ number one receiver, but he may soon become a player as coveted as Dez Bryant and Antonio Brown.
On a less serious note, nfl.com reported that Amari Cooper was given the highest overall rating for a rookie in the Madden ’16 video game. Of that, Cooper simply said, “That’ll go up.” Given the great software updates that the game now features, Cooper might become a fan favorite to use in the game.
It isn’t the wildest thing to think that Cooper could grace a future cover of Madden soon enough.