Oakland Raiders: What makes Amari Cooper so good?

Oakland Raiders’ first round pick Amari Cooper made a major statement in his first four NFL games. During that span, Cooper led all rookies in receptions (24) and receiving yards (339). In fact, the next closest rookie receiver was Cardinals’ running back David Johnson with all of 137 yards.

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Cooper’s most recent outing produced a solid four receptions for 47 yards in a 16-10 loss against Denver. While this latest performance wasn’t exactly jaw dropping, Cooper still demonstrated the consistency that is needed to succeed at the NFL level. So what exactly separates Amari Cooper from the rest of the pack?

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I watched the coaches film of Oakland’s first four games to catch a glimpse of what Cooper’s game was all about. Often times, NFL rookies have to adjust to the speed of the pro game. In this case, I think this is a unique situation where NFL defenders have to adjust to the speed of Amari Cooper.

The first thing that jumped out to me is that Cooper possesses both elite quickness and elite long speed. Simply put, Cooper just has an extra gear like few others at his position. I believe Cooper’s athletic attributes are right on par with other young first round receiving talents like Odell Beckham Jr., Sammy Watkins, and DeAndre Hopkins

Physical skill set aside, Cooper runs extremely crisp routes as well. With very little wasted motion, the former Alabama star rarely tips off defenders to which route he will be running. In technician like fashion, Cooper’s superior route running ability allowed him to gobble up huge chunks of yardage against Cleveland’s Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden in week three. Cooper recorded eight receptions for 134 yards in the contest.

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) Cleveland Browns cornerback Johnson Bademosi (24) Oakland Raiders running back Roy Helu (26) at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

No matter how many pass interference rules the NFL tries to enforce, hand fighting is still an important skill for all receivers. A subtle part of Cooper’s game is the use of his hands to get open. I am very impressed with how savvy Cooper is when contacting defenders downfield. Because Cooper does not extend his arms when pushing off on a defender, I think he will usually get the benefit of the doubt on most pass interference calls.

Also helping Cooper’s cause is the surprising chemistry that he has developed with second year quarterback Derek Carr. Besides a handful of minor hiccups between this duo, I would have thought that these two had been playing together for a few years, not a few months. With Carr at 24 years of age and Cooper at 21, their timing and synchronicity together is uncanny.

I would like to see Cooper improve his concentration skills on short passes. For someone of Cooper’s ability level, I think he has dropped a few too many routine passes. This could be due to the fact that Cooper has a tendency to let balls get too close to his body when making the catch.

Oct 4, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) breaks up a pass meant for Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) in the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

However, it is way too early to tell if this will be a long term problem for Cooper. For what it is worth, Cooper dropped three balls in his first four games for a drop percentage of 7.5% according to sportingcharts.com.

Such rapid progress on Cooper’s part is an indication to me of how hard he must be working when the spotlight isn’t on. In my view, it is refreshing to see such a young player that already understands how much blood, sweat, and tears it takes to become great. As NFL defensive coordinators adjust their game plans and start focusing on Amari Cooper as a primary offensive weapon, I am excited to see the next phase of Cooper’s progression.

Next: Oakland Raiders: Is this team ready for the big time?

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