NFL Draft Rumors: 49ers trying to trade up for Amari Cooper?

By Josh Hill | Apr 2, 2015

Sep 13, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) jogs into the end zone for a touchdown against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

The San Francisco 49ers are in desperate need of correcting their problems, and part of that might mean trading up for Alabama’s Amari Cooper.

The NFL Draft is in a few weeks, and teams are starting to make moves to either be players in the first round or sell their picks to move back in the order. But the San Francisco 49ers are in need of upgrades across the board and they may make an aggressive move to get a top prospect who could change their fortunes sooner rather than later.

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According to NFL Draft insider Matt Miller, the San Francisco 49ers are interested in taking Amari Cooper in the draft this year and could look to trade up to No. 5 overall to get him.

Miller notes that the Chicago Bears are big on Cooper at No. 7 overall and if the Niners want to land their man, they’ll need to move up above the Bears in the draft order to make sure they are in a position to get him. This makes teams like the New York Jets and Washington Redskins possible trade targets.

New York won’t move if they have Marcus Mariota on the board and the Redskins are looking to hold the No. 5 pick ransom in an effort to land the Oregon prospect as well. Two teams want the same guy, and Mariota’s draft stock and where ‘s available right end up effecting that of Cooper and where he might go.

The Chicago Bears have zero interest in taking Mariota and are all about lining up Cooper with Alshon Jeffery in their receiving corps. They need to replace Brandon Marshall and need to give Jay Cutler another target to make sure he has absolutely no wiggle room to fail in 2015.

Cooper with the 49ers makes a lot of sense though, as they need a No. 1 target and need a receiver who can work in tandem with Colin Kaepernick. There’s no saying Cooper will be a home run pick, but the 49ers need to find someone who can replace Michael Crabtree and be a threat on offense. Frank Gore is gone, Crabtree is gone, the defense is in shambles and the Niners need to find direction quickly.

That’s pressure on Cooper but it’s the type of pressure that sometimes rookies thrive under. Alabama was a great primer for Cooper, but his days in the NFL will carry immense weight and that will be the same if he lands with the Bears or the 49ers.

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