Oakland Raiders Watching For Speed at the Combine

Nov 30, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) catches a 99 yard touchdown pass from A.J. McCarron (not pictured) past Auburn Tigers defensive back Jonathon Mincy (6) and Jermaine Whitehead (9) in the fourth quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Amari Cooper

Alabma Crimson Tide receiver prospect Amari Cooper is supposed to be the creme dela creme of receiver prospects. But lately, some of the scouting media has put West Virginia receiver Kevin White in his place. All of the sudden, they have questions about Cooper, thinking that his stats are a little inflated because he was featured so much.

People thought I was crazy in the beginning because I had those same questions during the season. While many called him the next Sammy Watkins, I wondered if he was the next Peter Warrick or Devon Bess. They were both supposed to be speed guys and Warrick didn’t run at the combine and ended up being a bust in the NFL while Bess ran a 4.69 and went undrafted.

So the Raiders will definitely be watching his 40 and if he’s in the 4.3s, he has No. 4 overall value. You just don’t take a receiver that high unless he has blazing speed to go with everything else you want. That lets the NFL world know that he can separate and stay separated down the field instead of corners catching up to him when the ball is in the air.

It also meas he will strike fear into the hearts of those corners.

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