As things stand right now, the Dallas Cowboys have Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley as the only wide receivers on the roster that should feel secure that their roster spots are safe. That means the Cowboys need to address the position at some point this off-season, and I think they would prefer to do it through the draft.
Enter Eastern Washington’s wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Kupp finished his career at Eastern Washington as the Division I leader in receptions (428), receiving yards (6,446), and receiving touchdowns (73). That is exactly the type of production the Cowboys could use playing opposite of Dez Bryant and at 6’2″, 198, Kupp fits the parameters that they like in their Y WRs.
I believe that Cooper Kupp would be an immediate upgrade over Terrance Williams and Brice Butler. A lot of that has to do with the fact that he can play on the outside or in the slot and be equally as effective at both.
Let’s first take a look at his hands.
In this clip, you can see Cooper’s “Suction Kupp” hands. By the way, I could honestly sit here all day and watch him make catches like this one.
On this particular play, Cooper is able to set up the defensive back to the inside with a quick stutter-step move, which gives him a free release to the outside. The DB has no chance and has to resort to holding Cooper to try to keep him from making the reception.
With the DB on his back, Cooper reaches out with his right hand and easily snatches the ball out of the air for the TD.
This is just one of many examples where Cooper Kupp shows off his natural hand catching ability. Something that would be a welcomed addition after watching years of Terrance Williams’s body catching passes.
Let’s take a look at how he beats tight coverage with both his hands and his feet for a touchdown.
In this particular clip, you see Coopper Kupp facing tight coverage at the goal line.
Kupp has a wide array of moves he uses to set up defensive backs all over the field, but in this particular clip he uses the stutter/jab/swat move to beat press coverage and win inside position for the TD.
You don’t see too many collegiate wide receivers that already have a really good grasp on how to set up their routes and put defensive backs in a difficult position. I think this is what sets Cooper Kupp apart from other WRs in this draft class.
I would even go as far as saying that he would be the best route runner on the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie, with the exception of Cole Beasley.
Let’s take another look at Cooper Kupp’s route running capabilities.
In this clip you see Kupp explode off the line of scrimmage to sell the go route and give a little jab step before sinking his hips on a quick hitch route. He completes the catch by working back to the ball and then with an extra effort carries the defender for a few more yards to pick up the first down.
This one play encompasses everything I like about Cooper Kupp.
He shows off his route running, strong hands, and strength. All traits that will make him a really good player in the NFL, hopefully with the Cowboys.
There is one area of his game that I would like to see him improve, especially if he becomes a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys require their Y WR to do a lot of dirty work in the running game. This is an area where Terrance Williams might be missed if he moves on.
Williams is really good at blocking down the field. This is an area where Cooper Kupp will have to work on because I don’t know how much he did it in college since he was the go-to playmaker.
In the clip above you see Kupp square up to the defender and make the block by getting in the way more than anything. You would really like to see him get his hands inside and drive the defender a little bit more out of the play. But, all of this can be improved upon with a little more work and proper technique.
Cooper Kupp has become one of my favorite WRs in this entire draft class and this next clip shows you why.
Cooper takes a simple swing pass the distance on pure determination alone. That is exactly the kind of player I would want on my team and someone the Dallas Cowboys could certainly use.
Overall, Cooper Kupp put up elite numbers against lesser competition during his time at Eastern Washington. He is a natural hands catcher and already has a strong foundation to build upon when it comes to knowing how to set up defensive backs with his route running.
He would start out as the #3 WR for the Dallas Cowboys behind Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley but has the versatility to make plays all over the field because he can play both on the inside and outside.
For Cooper Kupp to become a member of the Dallas Cowboys, he would likely have to slide a little bit and still be there at 60 when it’s their turn to draft in the second round.
Does Cooper Kupp sound like a wide receiver the Dallas Cowboys could use?
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