Arguably the two best WR’s in the 2015 NFL Draft class are Amari Cooper and Kevin White. The Oakland Raiders are in need of a true number one receiver and if Reggie McKenzie decides to draft a WR 4th overall, Cooper and White both offer that potential.
Each prospect has their strengths and weaknesses, and both have a chance to be outstanding players, but who is the better prospect?
It’s a great debate and the only way to really settle the debate is to wait a few years to see how they pan out…but what’s the fun in that?
So let’s stack the two of them up and settle it right here, right now.
Doing a player comparison like this is a bit tricky because there are several broad categories (route running, athleticism, hands, etc.) and many specifics that fall under those categories (release, separation, agility, catching in traffic, etc.).
So we’ll go through a handful of categories and the specifics that fall under them, and find out who ends up with the advantage in each category, and then ultimately, who is the better overall prospect.
And since athleticism was used as the example, let’s start there.
Athleticism
White drew most of the ooh’s and aah’s at the Combine, but Amari is no slouch of an athlete. His combine numbers are similar to Sammy Watkins, who was raved for his athleticism last year. Yet, Cooper isn’t being lauded in the same fashion.
Known as the bigger WR, (although not by as much as you would think) White does play the position much more physically, and has the flashier highlight reel because of his ability to go up and get it.
Here are their combine numbers side by side. Cooper on the left, White on the right. (numbers per mockdraftable.com)
Quick note: Cooper’s listed 4o time is a bit off. A video overlay of the two running the 40 shows that Cooper actually beat White, and NFL teams have been notified that Amari’s 40 time is somewhere between 4.35 – 4.38.
The listed numbers tell us most of what we need to know here, so this category won’t need to be broken down like some of the later ones we’ll discuss.
Amari edged White in the 40-yard dash, the 3-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle. White’s vertical is 3″ more, and the same for his broad jump. Height/Weight does need to be taken into account but the difference isn’t as much as the perception would indicate (only four pounds).
And lastly, White’s 40 time was obviously very impressive, but that speed rarely showed up on film. Nearly every draftnik expected White to run right at the 4.5 mark or a bit better. So kudos to White on the impressive time, but that speed needs to show on the football field.
So with all that being said…Advantage: Cooper. The speed and the agility numbers are more important than a few inches of jumping.
Next: Hands: Amari Cooper vs. Kevin White