Very different. Guys like Gholston and Stephen Hill were combine warriors meaning they got drafted high strictly because of the combine. Kevin White was already the best WR or 2nd best WR in this draft.
Gholston was a projected top 10 pick before the combine even started. Kevin White scares me, not so much about the combine raising his stock but that he was a nobody before this season at WVU. He only really had 1 good year at WVU, transferring in as a JUCO. And the Big 12 had terrible defenses in this year. Amari Cooper had 3 great years at the highest level. He was the best offensive player in the best conference in the nation. If the Jets are fortunate enough to be in the position to choose between the 2, I will be pleading that they don't overthink this one like this organization traditionally does. Take Cooper. Ideally, the Raiders will make a classic Raider decision and take White and Cooper will be there for the taking at no. 6
Amari Cooper's performances in what I would call this biggest stages: As a freshman: Iron Bowl vs. Auburn: 5 Rec 109 yards 2 TDs SEC Championship vs. Georgia: 8 Recs 128 yards 1 TD National Championship vs. Notre Dame: 6 Rec 105 yards 2 TD As a sophomore: Iron Bowl vs. Auburn: 6 Recs 178 yards 1 TD Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma: 9 Recs 121 yards As a Junior: Iron Bowl vs. Auburn: 13 recs 224 yards 3 TDs SEC Championship vs. Missouri: 12 recs 83 yards Sugar Bowl vs. Ohio State: 9 recs 71 yards 2 TDs I don't understand how people can not view him as the top WR in this class by a wide margin. In that list I didn't even put on what I feel was his best performance of all too. A 10 catches, 200 yard, 3 TD performance against Florida and CB Vernon Hargreaves III, who will be a top 5 overall pick next year, one of the best CB prospects in recent memory, a guy who until that game had more pass breakups than catches allowed on the season!!!
Was never a fit for us. His Olympic combine numbers blinded the fact that he's never played OLB before and he could easily make the transition. As for Kevin White that is false. Had a solid year his first year at WVU but between 4 QB's none of which were any good and an all around horrible offense he didn't put up great numbers. The next year with very little improvements to the offense he single handingly dominated with a bad ankle all year.
Drops Drops Drops... Cooper is an excellent Wide Receiver and a very polished route runner, but his drops are a huge concern of mine . And IMO Cooper hasn't shown the physicality needed to beat physical Corners consistently at the point of attack or release point(Auburn didn't play man press against Cooper for some reason). IMO Kevin White has superior hands, high points the ball better, he's a more physical WR who has shown the ability to tear up press coverage and he's a machine when it comes to YAC. I can see why others view Cooper as the better prospect, but I think you're selling White short.
Kevin White should really give a quarter of his signing bonus to Clint Trickett. For realz. I agree with BN... Cooper in a landslide. He has been a dominant player for three years with absolutely awful quarterbacks. Kevin White was a nobody until Trickett showed up (while playing in one of the most prolific college offenses of the past 5 years... you guys should know that better than anyone) and came back down to Earth after Trickett had to stop because of the concussions.
Yeah if you watch the college tape, even the highlights, on Gholston, it's embarrassing. There is one fumble recovery on his highlight video where all he does is pick up a fumble one of his teammates forced and walk into the end zone. The idea that he could stop the run effectively at the next level or drop back into space and cover were total projections (pipe dreams, as it turned out). I don't know how you justify making that huge a projection on a player you are taking at #6 overall. As good as Rex coming up with defensive game plans, it's almost unbelievable he wasn't able to scheme at least a .5 sack for this guy.
Oh wow. This is the worst post I think I have ever seen. Clint Trickett? Have you ever watched him play a game?? He is horrible, he was 3rd string behind 2 other horrible QB's and then played 4 good games as a senior. WVU fans were screaming joy when Skylar Howard took over. He came down to earth? Do your research.. he was hampered by a severe ankle sprain and double coverage but still put up numbers. I'm not saying that he's far and away better than Cooper because they are very close but to say Trickett had anything to do with his success is purely idiotic.
Yes, I did watch WVU games this year. I watched Trickett at FSU as well when he and Rashad Greene were freshmen. He didn't play at WVU in 2013 after transferring late (May 2013) from FSU (because of Manuel and Jameis... who will both end up being 1st round picks FWIW) going from a pro style offense to the completely different animal that they run at WVU. Trickett passed for 365 yards against Alabama, which was the first game of the season. Kevin White had 143 yards that game, but Trickett still had >220 yards in the air to other targets. Against Alabama. I watched the Maryland game and Trickett was really good. WVU had a couple drops but he was so accurate and with terrific touch. He had (pocket) mobility (that is not to say rushing) I didn't expect from what they had him doing back at FSU. He just crushed that defense. It was pitch and catch with his wideouts. I watched the game against Oklahoma and he was terrific. He was under CONSTANT pressure... their tackles were getting absolutely abused by Striker and Grissom and inside by Ndulue... they were all over him. He still went for over 370. There was a sharp decline in Trickett's play starting with the TCU game... I have to wonder if that is where the concussion problems really started. Because he was really good before that. He had hid at least two concussions from the team and had five in 14 months (http://espn.go.com/college-football...ountaineers-stop-playing-football-concussions), which is why he decided to quit football. He didn't pass the concussion protocol test in time for the Bowl Game, which means he was feeling it before his last concussion vs. Kansas State. White's stats in 2014: Alabama (Trickett) 9/143/1 Towson (Trickett) 10/101/0 Maryland (Trickett) 13/216/1 Oklahoma (Trickett) 10/173/1 Kansas (Trickett) 6/132/1 Texas Tech (Trickett) 13/123/1 {Trickett led three scoring drives in the last 7:30 of the game to win this by 3} Baylor (Trickett) 8/132/2 {Tricket threw two TDs in the 4th Q to beat Baylor... their only loss in reg season} Ok. State (Trickett) 3/27/0 {OK State sold out to stop the pass in this game, Trickett still threw 21/30 238 2TD 0INT while WVU ran for over 200 yards} TCU (Trickett) 3/28/0 Texas (Trickett) 16/132/0 Kansas State (Trickett/Howard) 4/33/0 including screen pass for -2. Also had a 37 yard completion wiped out for OPI. 3/28/1 Iowa State (Howard) 4/48 Texas A&M (Howard) 7/129/1 (18.4 YPC) Here are other WR performances vs. Texas A&M: South Carolina Nick Jones: 5/113/2 (22.6 YPC) South Carolina Pharoah Cooper: 3/58/1 (19.3 YPC) South Carolina Rory Anderson: 3/52/0 (17.3 YPC) South Carolina Damiere Byrd: 1/46/1 (46 YPC) South Carolina Jerrell Adams: 2/40/0 (20.0 YPC) Rice Mario Hull: 3/57/1 (19.0 YPC) SMU Der'rickk Thompson: 3/72/0 (24.0 YPC) Arkansas AJ Derby: 3/58/0 (19.3 YPC) Miss St De'Runnya Wilson: 4/72/1 (18.0 YPC) Miss St Fred Brown: 3/69/1 (23.0 YPC) Ole Miss Quincy Adeboyjo: 2/64/0 (32.0 YPC -- two 30+ catches) Alabama Amari Cooper: 8/140/2 (17.5 YPC -- only played first 33 minutes of the game due to score to do what White did the whole game) Louisiana-Monroe Raeshon Caesar: 5/99/0 (19.8 YPC) Auburn Sammie Coates: 2/58/0 (29.0 YPC -- Auburn ran for 363 yards this game) Auburn Ricardo Louis: 2/50/0 (25.0 YPC) Missouri Jimmie Hunt: 5/85/0 (17.0 YPC -- with Maty Mauk at QB... who is awful) West Virginia Jordan Thompson: 3/84/0 (28.0 YPC) West Virginia Mario Alford: 3/57/1 (19.0 YPC) West Virginia Shelton Gipson: 1/47/0 (47.0 YPC) What's the point of this? There are so many WRs that were able to get big chunks vs. A&M all year that his performance against them shouldn't be (in my opinion) looked at as much above average. White's performance dropped significantly once Trickett got dinged up (my mistake earlier saying once Trickett went out) and looked a lot like what he did the previous year. Amari Cooper in 33 minutes did just beyond what White did all game in a competitive game against A&M. What is the argument that White is even in the conversation as far as a better WR than Cooper?
No time to read that^^ as a WVU fan Trickett played awesome for 3-4 weeks last fall and then fell off the earth. A 155 pound QB is the reason for a star WR's success? LOL
OK well if you are a WVU fan you've obviously watched more of them than me. I'm just going off of what I've seen myself... and he was a terrific passer in the games I saw.
He was horrible. Played awesome against Bama a couple others but was the sole reason for many losses in the span of 2 years. WVU did not throw one pass the entire 4th quarter against TCU letting them come back from two TD's because he was so bad. Kevin White's stats with him as a QB are absolutely unbelievable. Not that Simms was very good either but with what was surrounding White he had just as an impressive year if not more. As far as comparing the 2 WR's at the next level it's very close.
Cooper isn't as physical as White, but Cooper's technique off the line of scrimmage allows him to beat press coverage with regularity. It's the deceptive route running that gets corners questioning where he's going to go. They used to say the same thing about Antonio Brown.
We don't know this, because teams throughout the year refused to challenge him with press coverage on a consistent basis, but you're probably right. I don't think this will be a problem for Cooper, but when you're comparing two great prospects you have to nit pick a bit.
I also think one of Coopers best attributes is his amazing change of pace. So many times this year he has gone through a gap for Bama that most other players would never have made. He goes through the gears so very fast when he is moving.
Does trading for Marshall completely remove the idea of taking a wideout at number 6? I actually wouldn't be opposed to it. Marshall won't give us more than 2 years and I think it would be a really good move to get a young stud under him developing. It'll give us an elite WR corps right away and as soon as Marshall is gone he should be prepared to step into the number 1 role.
Assuming MM is gone we should still be going with Cooper or White...If they're both gone then go with the Stanford O-line kid
Looks like we will not be drafting either Cooper nor White with Marshall on board. However I still think we should consider and here's why. Cooper/White are going to be great players for a long time to come so why not draft them and let them learn under Marshall/Decker. Too many other needs is the answer but... Cooper more so than White IMO would slide perfectly into the slot when Decker/Marshall outside. Marshall has 2 more great years in him IMO. Cooper would be a $8 million cheaper slot/flanker than Percy would. Using the savings upgrade OL, CB, and OLB in FA and rounds 2-7. Same thing I said when we got Percy and everyone was freaking out.. Just because you bring in a guy like him doesn't mean you pass on a blue chip prospect if it is who you really want.
Decker and Kerley are locked up until the end of the 2018 season Brandon Marshall is locked up until the end of 2017 WR is arguably our strongest position. But what about the DL? I am glad you asked. Ellis and Douzable are unrestricted free agents Next year Mo Wilkerson, Snacks, and Coples are unrestricted free agents. In 2017 all five of them could be long gone.
