Remember during all the pre-NFL draft speculation when people were wondering whether the Oakland Raiders would give Derek Carr a new weapon in either Amari Cooper or Kevin White? The whole process was very reminiscent of the 2011 NFL draft when scouts would argue Julio Jones vs. A.J. Green. As we know, Oakland opted for the more polished route runner in Cooper and haven't regretted the selection for a moment since.
"Cooper and White became the first two wide receivers picked, with Cooper going No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders and White going No. 7 to the Chicago Bears," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote. "When the two teams square off on Sunday, Cooper will continue to try to stake his claim to the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year, while White will remain on the injured-reserve-designated-to-return list.
"Cooper has been what the Raiders thought he would be - an emerging receiver, a dynamic playmaker, an offensive building block on a team that needed more of those. Head coaches of the teams he has faced this season have already remarked that Cooper does not play like a rookie. The numbers prove that, as Cooper is outpacing the combined output from the seven receivers drafted after him."
Cooper has notched 20 total receptions for 290 yards, including to 100-yard games. The next seven receivers selected have combined for 19 receptions, 272 yards and no 100-yard games thus far. Pretty impressive.
"White has been a disappointment, through no fault of his own. He suffered a stress fracture in his leg during training camp, similar to the injury he had in college. He underwent preventative surgery, and though the Bears haven't ruled him out for the season, some around the league believe White won't see the field at all in 2015."
Granted, the Bears were entering somewhat of a rebuilding year this season and, at 0-3, have continued those efforts with recent trades. It's understandable that they would be as patient as possible with White. But it's still obvious that the Raiders made the right choice in going with Cooper as he has been the most impressive rookie pass catcher this year.
