Riley Cooper Scouting Report

Cooper almost left Gainesville after his junior season in 2008...but not for the NFL. He signed a contract with the Texas Rangers, but decided to return to Florida, as NCAA rules allow an athlete to be a professional in one sport while maintaining eligibility in a different one. Of course, when Cooper signed with the Rangers to play pro baseball, he probably did not have much hope of doing the same with an NFL team to play football. After all, the wide receiver had contributed little throughout his first three years as a Gator, partly because he was playing behind future NFL stars like Percy Harvin. With several teammates having moved on to the next level, Cooper stepped into a much bigger role in 2009 and to say he has capitalized on the opportunity would be an understatement. Emerging as Tim Tebow's go-to target, Cooper caught 35 passes for 593 yards and six touchdowns. His previous career highs had been 18 catches, 261 yards, and three scores. As his prowess in both baseball and football suggests, Cooper is a remarkable athlete with superb hand-eye coordination. He has the size to make an impact in the NFL, standing 6'3' and 215 pounds. He has been clocked at faster than 4.40 in the 40-yard dash, but his real speed -- on average - -is probably somewhere in the high 4.4s; not great, but good enough (especially considering he does to not rely on his quickness). Cooper is as tough and fundamentally sound as they come and he has incredible hands, as indicated by some of the catches he has made during his breakout senior campaign. If baseball was not in the picture, Cooper would probably be selected sometime on Day 2 of the 2010 NFL Draft, perhaps in the fifth round. Of course, it remains to be seen in which direction he will go.