Oakland Raiders draft Amari Cooper, get a huge weapon

By Ryan Ratty | Apr 30, 2015

The Oakland Raiders drafted Amari Cooper. With that pick, the Raiders now have a weapon for Derek Carr.

It’s been a long time since the Oakland Raiders have had quality receivers. The last top-tier-like receiver on their roster was Jerry Rice in 2001. Derek Carr flashed glimpses last year of his potential and he did so with not a lot of talent on their roster. I said last week how it was vital for the Raiders to surround Carr with talent this offseason. By drafting a stud receiver like Amari Cooper, the Raiders did just that.

By adding my top overall receiver, the Raiders now have a true No. 1 receiver on the roster. James Jones really was the only note-worthy receiver on the Raiders last year. That said, the Raiders added to their receiving corps this offseason by signing Michael Crabtree in free agency. Having Jones and Crabtree on the same roster is obviously an upgrade from years past, but the fact of the matter is that the Raiders needed more to compete with one of the toughest divisions in the NFL in the AFC West.

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At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Cooper obviously doesn’t physically impose anyone. The other top receiver in this draft class is Kevin White. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, with a sub 4.35 40-yard dash time, White has the size and speed to become an All-Pro receiver in the NFL. However, Cooper is much more polished at this point in their careers.

Cooper has some of the softest hands. His route-running ability is top-notch and his body control is simply wonderful to watch. Cooper can break routes off one foot. He has excellent tracking ability and, as I said earlier, his frame isn’t spectacular, but he shows enough ability to go up and bring down the football.

At Alabama, Cooper was in an offense with a ton of weapons. Because of that, he didn’t receive the attention White received, but it should still be said that Cooper is coming into the league as one of the more NFL-ready receivers from years past.

As a possession receiver, Cooper will need to make plays at all levels of the defense. He has the speed to make plays underneath, he has the route-running skills and the hands to make plays at the second level of the defense, and he has the tracking ability and the body control to bring down deep passes, which is something the Raiders failed at in 2014.

The rest of the offseason for the Raiders will be to upgrade their offensive line. If the Raiders can put a solid offensive line group in front of Carr, it will give the Fresno State product time to stay in the pocket and go through his reads. If the line holds up, Carr will have no problem finding Cooper, who tends to always get open.

The Raiders haven’t been a good offensive team in a long time, but the moves they have made this summer to help Carr, and with promising players like Mychal Rivera and Latavius Murray improving, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Raiders finished with around 6-7 wins.

Next: Oakland Raiders: 5 best offseason moves

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