The Oakland Raiders will select Alabama star receiver Amari Cooper fourth in the 2015 NFL draft on Thursday, according to the two latest mock drafts from ESPN experts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay. Although USC defensive end Leonard Williams had been considered the No. 2 option for Oakland, one of the analysts presented another No. 2 option: trading down for Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.
Oakland needs help at the receiver position, and if Cooper is still on the board, two of the top NFL draft experts believe the Raiders are a lock to select him fourth overall.
"While Derek Carr has been anointed 'future franchise QB' status, (Oakland) can't afford to let him regress due to lack of weapons, and Cooper is what 'high floor' looks like," Kiper wrote Thursday.
Ford also believes Oakland will select Cooper, if the Jacksonville Jaguars don't select the 20-year-old receiver with the No. 3 pick.
"I think that if both Williams and Amari Cooper are on the board, the Raiders will select Cooper, based on what I've heard," Ford wrote Thursday. "But in this scenario, Cooper already has been taken by Jacksonville at No. 3, and I think the Raiders would take the best overall defensive prospect in this draft in Williams, who could play 3-technique defensive tackle in their 4-3 defense."
The previous mock drafts from Kiper and McShay both had Cooper going to the Raiders. Although Williams has been considered the No. 2 choice for Oakland, Kiper offered another possible option the team might consider on draft night.
"If the pairing of Fowler and Khalil Mack looks too good to be true, or a trade offer (to get to Cooper or Fowler) has them moving down and adding picks," Kiper wrote.
The NFL draft begins on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
