Wide receiver Amari Cooper is coming off of his fourth Pro Bowl selection in his first five years in the NFL. In his first full season with a star in his helmet, Cooper set career highs in yards (1,189), touchdowns (8), and yards per catch (15.1).
Even with his struggles on the road last season (catching only 27 passes) he was still one of the league’s best. So much so that Jared Dubin of CBS Sports ranked the top 10 receivers entering the 2020 season and Cooper came in at No. 6 on the list (5th in the NFC), ahead of more highly-regarded names such as Odell Beckham (10) and Mike Evans (7).
6. Amari Cooper, Cowboys
I can hear the complaints already. Cooper ahead of Evans? Really?
Well … for his career, Evans averages an 82-1,291-9 line per 16 games. Since arriving in Dallas, Cooper has averaged 84-1,225-9 per 16 games, and he’s done it on considerably lower target volume. (He’s played all 25 games.) He’s also got a much higher catch rate (67.2 percent), so even though his yards per catch average (14.6) trails that of Evans, he’s still been a bit more efficient on a per-route basis (2.24 yards per route run). That advantage holds even if you take out Evans’ rookie season, where he was something of a co-No. 1 option alongside Vincent Jackson.
Cooper changed life instantly for the Cowboys in 2018 after being acquired via trade from the then-Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick. In the nine games he played, The Alabama star caught 53 passes for 725 and six touchdowns. The Cowboys went 7-2 and captured the NFC East crown for the second time in three seasons.
Heading into 2020, Cooper has a chance to have his best season yet with the other weapons around him at the receiver position. Michael Gallup elevated his game to 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns in 2019, doubling bis numbers from his rookie campaign. CeeDee Lamb, regarded by many as the best wide receiver in the NFL Draft, fell to the Cowboys at No. 17. His ability to play not only in the slot but also on the outside allows the Cowboys to move Cooper around, who also can play multiple positions.
Having so many threats around Cooper could see things open for him more than ever in an offense that will certainly attack through the air regularly under Mike McCarthy and his West-Coast approach mixed in with Kellen Moore’s vertically-attacking philosophy.
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