Jaguars Draft 2015: Who should the Jags take?

The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t necessarily need another WR but adding more young talent to the position would never hurt. The Jaguars seem to have 3 promising young wideouts in Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee but they are now in search of a slot WR since Cecil Shorts III chose to sign with the division rival, Houston Texans. Two possible options at pick 3 for the Jags could be Alabama WR Amari Cooper or West Virginia WR Kevin White.

Both of these young wideouts are coming off extremely impressive seasons as Amari Cooper won the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nations best wide receiver and Kevin White set a school record with seven consecutive 100 yard receiving games and also a school record with 16 catches against Texas on November 8th.

It is very hard to compare these wideouts because they are both very good and they both bring different strengths to the table. First we will examine the freak athlete that is Kevin White.

Nov 1, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Kevin White (11) runs with ball after a catch during the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs at Milan Puskar Stadium. TCU Horned Frogs defeated West Virginia Mountaineers 31-30. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

2. Kevin White WR, West Virginia.

White posted a blazing fast 4.35 forty yard dash which was the best among all wideouts invited to the combine, he also pumped out 23 bench press reps which also led all wideouts. Kevin White is clearly a physical freak and he could be an elite redone target in the NFL. White stands at 6’3 and weighs in around 210 pounds, he has the size and speed of an elite NFL receiver.

Blackandteal.com writer Luke Sims said this about Kevin White. 

"Kevin White could very well be the player that Blake Bortles needs to be best friends with. That size-speed freak is 6’3″ and 209, that’s a great target for a young quarterback. Yet, I don’t see him bringing anything new to the Jags."

Kevin White would definitely be a reliable target for young quarterback Blake Bortles however if the Jags decided to select White, they would be banking on a player who is coming off his first impressive college season. There is no question that West Virginia’s star wideout meets all physical requirements to be a number 1 wideout in the NFL but if the Jags decide to go wide receiver in the first round, they may feel safer with Amari Cooper.

Nov 8, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) celebrates after a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

3. Amari Cooper WR, Alabama.

Amari Cooper finished his college career with another spectacular season at Alabama. He finished the season with 124 receptions, over 1700 yards receiving, and 16 touchdowns. In his three year career at Alabama he started in 30 games and caught 31 touchdowns. He also received plenty of different awards including a first team All American selection this year and also the SEC offensive player of the year. Amari Cooper has been very impressive in all three of his college seasons and he also played in the SEC, which most would consider as the most challenging and competitive conference in college football.

Fellow Black and Teal writer Luke Sims expressed his thoughts about Cooper 

"What I prefer about Amari Cooper over Kevin White is that Cooper is less of a one year wonder. He put up big numbers in his year as well, hauling in 59 receptions with 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns. All three years at Alabama he led the team in receptions."

Amari Cooper also posted some impressive numbers at the combine, he had the quickest time among all wideouts in the 3 cone drill as well as the 20 yard shuttle. These results show that Cooper is very fast off the jump and he has the ability to quickly to get past defenders. Cooper did a fantastic job with the post route for Alabama and he also showed the ability to make tough catches in the middle of field around defenders. If the Jaguars decide to go after a wide receiver in the first round then I think Amari Cooper is the safest choice. Amari Cooper also planned a visit with the Jags last month so the possibility of Amari Cooper coming to Duval could be a reality.

Next: What about Vic Beasley?