Name: Amari Cooper
Position: WR
College: Alabama
Experience: 4th season
Height: 6-1
Weight: 211
Draft: Selected in the first round, No. 4 overall, by Oakland in 2015
Scouting Report:
· Cooper is a highly competitive player, and he shows physical toughness with the ball in his hands. Will finish after catch.
· He can cover some ground when advancing up the field. I have seen him take away tacklers' angles when they're closing on him in the open. There is some vertical separation to his game. He plays with a burst, and you really notice this when he's tracking the ball or coming across the field.
· Speaking of explosiveness, Cooper has impressive lateral quickness -- especially down in the red zone. Have seen him stick his foot in the ground and explode to the outside.
· Make no mistake about it: this is a home run hitter. There are snaps where Derek Carr threw the ball as far as he could and Cooper ran it down.
· Excellent body control and balance. He has a knack for playing well in small areas. When the situation gets tight in the red zone, he knows how to work his body and feet. He shows sideline awareness.
· Can change direction in a hurry. Gets north-south with the ball quickly. Has a running back mentality. Nice run after catch.
· Cooper shows the ability to make plays in the air, which is something we haven't seen from this Dallas receiver corps. He can contort his body in a manner to make the reception. I didn't see any problems with him going for the ball over his head.
· I thought he showed natural hands and the ability to catch in them. It felt to me that some of the drops that he showed were when he was trying to head up the field before putting the ball away. Others were just a simple lack of concentration.
· He knows how to read coverages. You see him working through all areas of the field. It's best when you can hit him on the move.
· Cooper has the physical traits along with the ability to be a featured receiver. He should line up as the Cowboys' X receiver, with Michael Gallup opposite and Cole Beasley in the slot. He will provide a physical, down the field weapon for an offense that needs that type of player.
