The Oakland Raiders have to be happy with their pick of Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper with the No. 4 overall selection in last week's NFL Draft.
The former Crimson Tide star is one of the most polished draft picks in this year's class. His route running is top notch, something that can't be said for the majority of wide receivers, and he set an SEC record with 124 receptions last year. Cooper also possesses a unique blend of size (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) and speed (4.42 40-yard dash) that will provide hopeful franchise quarterback Derek Carr with a unique weapon.
But what are the realistic expectations for Cooper in his rookie season?
"This isn't a prediction that Cooper will lead the rookie class statistically - I could see several other rookie WRs catching more passes, for instance - but he's the one who enters the 2015 season as the clear No. 1 option on his team, and Derek Carr will be looking to him often," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. wrote. "He affects the entire offense and I'd expect him to finish a (healthy) rookie season with 75-plus catches."
A 75 catch season would put Cooper atop the leaderboard for receptions in Oakland. Last year's leading pass-catcher was James Jones (73), who was recently released. Andre Holmes led the team in receiving yards with just 693. Although Carr inspires a lot of hope among fans and showed brief glimpses of franchise potential, it has to be noted that his 5.46 yards per pass attempt was one of the worst marks for a starting quarterback in NFL history.
ESPN Fantasy insider Christopher Harris believes Cooper will definitely be productive but that his upside is limited by the poor offensive talent around him.
"Cooper was my favorite wideout in this draft, but his landing spot stinks," Harris wrote. "I know we can look at the Raiders through rose-colored glasses and believe the offense is coming together, but I'm simply not a believer in Derek Carr, whose rookie tape was dreadful. Somewhere down the road, Cooper has Antonio Brown upside. But I think of Sammy Watkins last year, lost in a sea of mediocrity with the Buffalo Bills. Cooper will make some great plays, but I worry he won't be week-to-week reliable."
Watkins is an apt comparison. He caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns in a poor passing offense last year. He produced six games with at least 75 receiving yards but also had nine games in which he was held under 50 yards. Expect similar feast-or-famine results from Cooper in his first season.
