Jacksonville Jaguars: The Amari Cooper question

By Kevin Parvizi | Apr 24, 2015

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear that their goal is to give second-year quarterback Blake Bortles every single weapon possible in order to make sure that the first QB off the board in last year’s deep class will succeed under first-time head coach Gus Bradley. Last season, the Jaguars found three promising rookie wideouts in Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, and Allen Hurns, with Robinson looking especially impressive as a high pick and Hurns looking like a true steal of a UDFA.

Despite the fact that the Jaguars went out and spent big bucks on former Denver Broncos superstar “move” TE Julius Thomas, it appears that the team might not rule out drafting a WR with the third overall pick in this year’s draft. In a chat session earlier this week, the Florida Times Union’s Ryan O’Halloran stated that he believes the Jaguars should take former Alabama standout Amari Cooper over a pass rusher like Dante Fowler Jr. or Vic Beasley.

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O’Halloran wisely reminds us that the Jaguars showed interest in marquee free agent Randall Cobb before the elite wideout decided to stay with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, and there’s also the fact that the Jaguars showed mild interest in former Packer and veteran Greg Jennings.

The counterargument to the Cobb and Jennings interest, however, is the two-fold. Firstly, Cobb is the sort of sure-fire beast that any bottom-feeder team intent on bringing in playmaking talent for its young QB should show interest in, while Jennings is a veteran flier who would bring in some reliability to a wide receiver corps that does have some bust potential despite its promise.

Now, the counter to that counter is that while Cooper is a rookie and, by definition, unproven due to the fact that he hasn’t taken any NFL snaps, he’s also much more polished than most rookie receivers. My No. 1-ranked receiver for quite some time, Cooper has underrated long speed, quick cuts, and is a technician who can get open at will inside or outside. He’s better at the catch point than some think due to his savvy and understanding of leverage, and he also has good hands.

In short, Cooper is so good and so polished that he’s the one guy who could feasibly get the Jaguars to pass up on a difference-maker on defense in favor of another young receiver. He’s a different beast than any of the wideouts on the Jaguars roster, and, if the Jags do take O’Halloran’s somewhat controversial recommendation and draft him, then I would be shocked if he isn’t immediately their best receiver.

Of course, O’Halloran appropriately states that a strong case against drafting Cooper is the depth at the position in this class, because the Jacksonville Jaguars could easily find a solid guy like Tyler Lockett later on in the draft. There’s never much pass rushing depth in the class, so it would be hard for them to find a diamond-in-the-rough at DE, much less someone as beastly as Fowler after the third overall pick.

Essentially, you could turn this whole Cooper issue into this question: “How big of a need is WR for the Jaguars?”

Although Kevin White is an extremely talented receiver with freakish athleticism and almost unreal quickness for his size, Cooper is the only receiver I would ever consider taking No. 3 overall if I were the Jaguars. The Jaguars have athletic freaks in Robinson and Lee and another intriguing talent in Hurns, so it only makes sense for them to go after a guy who can move the chains, have the versatility to play inside or outside, and stretch the field if asked.

Cooper can do it all, so his selection would be defensible, to say the least. In fact, if the Jaguars think he’s the best player available, then they might not be able to say “no”.

Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) runs after a catch against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the third quarter of the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, the larger issue here is the scarcity of pass rushers and the wealth of wide receiver talent, and this disparity is especially important for a rebuilding Jaguars team that has considerably better receivers than edge rushers.

While adding receivers will most directly help Bortles, their young QB could also be helped by having a stronger defense, as he would be able to feel comfortable knowing that his defense is better-able to withstand an inside-your-own-territory pick (or something of that nature).

The Jaguars main goal is obviously to build the strongest team that they can, and if that means being a bit unconventional and loading up on another receiver, then so be it. Amari Cooper will most likely be the real deal, and he’s worth taking at No. 3.

But the Jaguars also understand the importance of building a balanced roster, and the best way to help the organization and Bortles (since both of their futures are effectively intertwined) is to build the best team possible.

So why is Cooper the one receiver who makes sense for the Jaguars if they decide to make such a big investment into the position after already addressing it pretty heavily? Well, the Jaguars could use playmakers and reliability, hence why they were interested in Cobb (who provides both) and Jennings.

Cooper can provide both, therefore I would understand choosing him over a player who would fill a more pressing need. Plus, the pro-Cooper clan can also boast that Cooper has less bust potential than a pass rusher.

Personally, I’d take the pass rusher and wait on a receiver (this is easily my preferred option for the Jaguars), but I could see Cooper being the pick. I don’t agree with it, but he’s an exception due to his own ability.

Next: Expectations for Allen Robinson

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