Michael Wagaman 9y

Amari Cooper could be tempting for Raiders at No. 4 overall

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Oakland Raiders have the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft and the consensus seems to be that the team should use it to select Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. While Cooper would fill a glaring need for the team, there are some people who believe Oakland would be better off using the pick on someone else.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is among those who have projected Cooper going to the Raiders in early mock drafts. Rob Rang and Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, along with Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated and Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, also have tabbed Cooper as Oakland’s top pick.

Given the status of the Raiders' returning group of wide receivers, drafting Cooper would make a lot of sense. He would immediately become Oakland’s No. 1 receiver and would give the team a deep threat it’s been missing for years.

Yet he’s not the only option for the Raiders in the draft.

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com thinks Oakland should go after Missouri defensive end Shane Ray, and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has the Raiders selecting West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White.

Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie has received kudos for the draft class he put together in 2014 but he’s also been criticized for some of the high picks he made in previous years. It’s imperative to the team – and for his job security – that McKenzie hits a home run with his first-round pick this year.

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