St. Louis Rams: Five Wide Receivers Who Make Real Sense in the 2015 NFL Draft

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Amari Cooper- Alabama- 6’1, 211

Round Projections: RD1- Top 10 (NFL.com), RD1 (NFLDraftScout.com)

If the NFL’s heads of personnel have retained any level of sanity through the obnoxiously long four-month pre-draft process, Cooper will be off the board by the time the Rams select at pick 10. But thanks to bizarre leaps up the board by UCF’s Breshad Perriman and, to a lesser extent, West Virginia’s Kevin White, there’s now at least a remote chance that Cooper, the draft’s safest pick on offense, could be there when the Rams pick.

No matter how great of a need they have on the offensive line, the Rams pretty much have to pounce on Cooper if he’s available for them. Cooper is a true number one receiver, the type that the Rams haven’t had since Torry Holt was in his prime, as he’s very productive after the catch, is a polished route runner, and is a reliable target at all areas of the field. There seems to be an irrational level of concern about Cooper coming out of Alabama’s offense, which under Nick Saban has historically maximized players’ potential (lest we forget Julio Jones).

While the Rams may not have a legitimate “franchise quarterback” in Nick Foles, he’s previously shown that he can be exceptionally productive if he’s given a true difference-making receiver; he collected an NFL-best 119.2 QB rating with DeSean Jackson as his top receiver in 2013, and Cooper would be capable of making a similar impact. While the Rams appear to be rather content with their run-based offensive attack, a talent like Cooper would surely be incentive for them to balance it out a bit, and if by some chance he’s available, they need to take advantage.

Next: Dorial Green-Beckham