9. Amari Cooper (OAK)
With rising star Derek Carr in serious need of some weapons, the Raiders went ahead and used a top pick (fourth overall) on what most considered the most pro ready player in the draft, Amari Cooper.
In Cooper’s JR year at Alabama he had an unreal 127 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. To be able to put those numbers up against SEC defenses is a pretty remarkable feat.
It didn’t take long for Cooper to make everyone that hopped on the hype train glad they did. In his second and third game as a pro he became the Raiders first receiver to have back-to-back 100 yard receiving games since Randy Moss way back in 2005.
Cooper finished the year with some more than impressive numbers for a rookie receiver on a still rebuilding team by hauling in 72 passes for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns.
Cooper would have had even better numbers had he not slowed down drastically in his last five games. He had one game of 120 yards in those five and only managed 219 total, where he had a big goose egg against the Broncos. Granted, the Broncos had a ridiculous defense and shut many players down throughout the season.
Still, this team is looking a lot better and that should only mean even better seasons for the second year wide receiver.
