STRENGTHS: As his production indicates, Cooper served as a jack-of-all trades for the Game****s and projects as a similarly versatile player in the NFL.
Shows vision, subtle cuts and balance to absorb a hit and keep his feet, traits which will help him maintain a steady role as a returner. He's quick to the hole, wasting no time dancing and accelerates smoothly.
Cooper generally has good hands, exhibiting impressive body control and hand-eye coordination to pluck throws from outside of his frame. He appears to be more comfortable coming back toward the ball rather than tracking it over his shoulder at this time.
He was even utilized often as a wildcat quarterback in 2015 to take advantage of his versatility.
WEAKNESSES: Cooper wasn't asked to run many complicated routes in South Carolina's offense, often going in motion for quick dump-offs, quick-screens or verticals. Does not possess the elite breakaway speed that his five career scores of 70-plus yards would indicate. Not stout enough to routinely handle carries at the next level. Ball protection could be an issue.
When asked to run more intricate routes like post-corners, Cooper shows that he's still a work in progress as a route-runner, shuffling rather than exploding out of his cuts.
COMPARES TO: Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers - Like Cobb at Kentucky, Cooper was a do-everything weapon for the Game****s who can create with the ball in his hands, taking direct snaps or playing on the outside.
IN OUR VIEW: Cooper is an electric athlete in the open field with light feet and creative moves to easily redirect his momentum without slowing down. And those change of direction skills allow him to separate in his routes with the speed and vision to eliminate pursuit angles. Cooper lacks ideal size and strength, but can impact the game in several ways on offense and special teams, which boosts his NFL value.
