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Alabama’s Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon declare for 2015 NFL Draft

By Vinnie Criscenzo

Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) runs the ball past Ohio State Buckeyes defense during the second quarter in the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) runs the ball past Ohio State Buckeyes defense during the second quarter in the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon will be leaving Alabama to pursue the NFL.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are losing two more studs to the NFL.

Shortly after Alabama teammate and safety Landon Collins announced he would be leaving the school to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft, wide receiver and Heisman finalist Amari Cooper, as well as running back T.J. Yeldon also, reportedly, are declaring for the NFL Draft.

Amari Cooper is argued to be the best wide receiver in this year’s draft. The junior wide receiver and Heisman finalist recorded 124 receptions for 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014. He averaged 13.9 yards per reception and had three 200+ yard games. He is projected to easily be a first-round pick, with the most likely destination being the Oakland Raiders to give quarterback Derek Carr a much needed weapon on offense.

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T.J. Yeldon is not as prolific as his teammate Amari Cooper, but still should be a solid back in the NFL. In 2014, he recorded 979 yards with 11 touchdowns.

There is always going to be criticism when underclassmen declare for the NFL Draft. There will be people saying that they should stay that extra year and develop some more, or even some people that say they should stay and get their degree before declaring for the NFL Draft.

While those are fair points, this is not an uncommon situation. The truth is, you never know what could happen in a year. They could decide to stay at school the extra year and get hurt and lose their shot at going to the NFL. Also, spending an extra year playing the college game does more harm than good for the development of some players.

Obviously, these young men have taken the time and decided that the best thing for them to do is declare for the NFL Draft now. While Alabama will certainly miss them, it is part of the business and I’m sure they are very proud they will have two more of their own in the NFL.

I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to see what Amari Cooper can do in the NFL.

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