Rookie Profile – Pharoh Cooper, WR South Carolina

The term “all-around player” is said often, but it truly applies to Pharoh Cooper, who has been one of college football’s best all-around offensive weapons.

After a quiet freshman year at South Carolina, Cooper emerged as a Swiss Army Knife for the Gamecocks these past two seasons, amassing 2,420 yards from scrimmage over his sophomore and junior campaigns, playing in every game over those two seasons.

As a sophomore, he made 69 catches for 1,136 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 27 carries for 200 yards and two more scores on the ground. In 2015, Cooper hauled in 66 passes for 973 yards and eight touchdowns, also rushing for 111 yards and another score. In all, over his three seasons, Cooper totaled 2,676 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns (18 receiving).

Cooper is more efficient than Jimmy John’s delivery. He racked up those 2,676 yards on 209 touches (rushing and receiving), meaning he gained a mouth-watering 12.8 yards per touch.

As a special teamer, he averaged 22.4 yards per kick return in 22 attempts and returned 36 punts for an average of 4.7 yards. And that’s still not all! Cooper also attempted 16 passes in his career, completing nine and tossing four touchdowns with no picks.

The guy really can do it all.

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It’s worth mentioning South Carolina’s offense wasn’t exactly Baylor-esque, really struggling at the quarterback position and ranking 103rd in total offense in 2015. Four different signal callers threw at least 25 passes in the past two seasons. That’s not good. It was so bad, Head Coach Steve Spurrier just walked out in the middle of last year.

So, to recap — playing on a poor offense in a conference flooded with defensive talent, Cooper still found a way to produce in a very efficient manner. He has been the one constant on the offensive side of the ball for South Carolina. Despite having “just” 973 receiving yards this past season, he was named First Team All-SEC for the second straight year, with the coaches recognizing how valuable he was to the Gamecocks.

Before we get into some numbers, I want to steer you toward two other pieces on Cooper. He was covered as part of our 20/20 series, with Mike Valverde hitting us with 20 facts about the soon-to-be pro. Also, former DLF writer Russell Clay did a great piece on Cooper in 2014, which touches on his efficiency and features some swell highlights.

Let’s take a look at Cooper’s Mock Draftable chart, via MockDraftable.com:

Cooper did not run at the combine because of a quad injury. He is slated to run at South Carolina’s pro day on March 30. Cooper did record a 31-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-7 broad jump, neither of which are much to call home about.

Cooper isn’t a guy who is going to test well. He isn’t big or long. I know he didn’t run the 40-yard dash, but he’s not a burner, and I don’t think he’s an elite athlete, either. This somewhat aligns with what his tape shows, which we’ll get to later.

Because of Cooper’s limited combine participation, there’s not a ton to go off of here. Let’s move on to his Player Profiler page, courtesy of PlayerProfiler.com:

In terms of workout metrics, there’s only enough data for one, his burst score, which combines a player’s vertical and broad jump to gauge their explosiveness. Cooper’s putrid combine performance in the jumping events results in him being in the fourth percentile for his burst score. You don’t need me to tell you that’s not good.

On the flip side, his College Dominator Rating and Breakout Age are much better. The College Dominator Rating is the percentage of a player’s total team yards in college, and Cooper accounted for much of South Carolina’s offense — 43.1 percent to be exact. His Breakout Age, when he first received a Dominator Rating of at least 20 percent, is 19.5, putting him in the 78th percentile. A wideout with a Breakout Age under 19 is considered a “phenom,” according to the site.

So, again, not a ton to work with here, but we have a theme — Cooper gets it done on the field, against good competition, without possessing supreme athletic traits.

Let’s see him in action:

This is Cooper facing Miami his sophomore year. He ends the game with nine catches for 170 yards and a score, with the touchdown being a 78-yard skinny post where Cooper beats a linebacker in the initial zone coverage and splits two defensive backs on his way to the end zone (1:40).

When I watch Cooper, I am struck by how raw he is in nearly every aspect of the game, which makes his big-time production in the SEC even more impressive. It’s interesting, too, because typically a player in this mold is just an athletic freak, but we know that’s not the case with Cooper.

Like a lot of college wideouts, Cooper ran a limited route tree, and we see that against the Hurricanes. It’s possible the Gamecocks simplified their offense in an effort to aid their struggling quarterbacks, but while Cooper was asked to do a lot as far as where he lined up (he was in the Wildcat for several snaps), he wasn’t asked to run a variety of routes. He could stand to be sharper with the routes he does run as he often rounds breaks instead of making crisp turns.

I might as well just keep rolling on the negative train.

Cooper’s lack of size — height, hand and wingspan — hinders him in contested catch situations. His catch radius is pedestrian, and that shows up against Miami. In the first half, he fails to come up with two (0:52 and 2:40) sideline balls which are just out of his reach, one of which would’ve been a touchdown. Yes, they were each a tad overthrown, but both appeared to be catchable. Far too often, Cooper lets the ball get into his body instead of catching the ball with his hands, and he fumbled twice — one being a muffed punt — in this game.

Cooper’s at his best in space. With the ball in his hands, he runs like a running back. He can beat a defender with power or agility, forcing 16 missed tackles on just 66 receptions last year, per Pro Football Focus. Cooper can make tough catches across the middle (0:42) and plays with great physicality. He may not possess elite top-end speed, but he gets to his top gear in a hurry (3:39). Cooper competes as a blocker, although he whiffs on a block early in this game (0:33).

Leaping contested catches certainly aren’t his forte, but he makes a superb one on a back-shoulder throw at the 4:47 mark. It’s a great play, and it kind of summarizes Cooper; he didn’t jump very high or get much separation from the corner, but he found a way to make a big play. That’s what this guy does.

Summary

Cooper is probably going to get on the field early thanks to his do-it-all nature and ability to play special teams, but he needs coached up on a lot of the finer points of playing receiver. This a negative because it will likely keep him from producing much early on, but it can also be viewed as a positive. Playing in the SEC without much help at quarterback, Cooper was able to be an extremely efficient producer in spite of his refined game.

What’s his ceiling if he improves his game and gets to play with a good passer? Truth is, I don’t know. I suppose Randall Cobb is the ceiling for any multi-purpose college weapon who will be a wideout as a pro. I don’t think Cooper can get to that level, though. Cooper, to me, is very similar to Braxton Miller. Both players have a lot of work in front of them, but they stand to benefit greatly from honing their craft daily with an NFL-caliber position coach.

When evaluating players, at some point, I ask myself, “Can this guy play football?” Sometimes, I have a tendency to get too caught up in everything else — stats, metrics, measurables, etc. — and while that stuff is not to be discounted, I really like guys who can flat out play. Cooper can flat out play.

He may wind up being like a Troy Brown, who, for the most part, was a much better real-life player than fantasy asset. In today’s NFL, versatility and the ability to contribute on special teams is extremely valuable, and Cooper is going to be a nice piece for some organization.

I think situation is often overrated when trying to determine a player’s future fantasy value, but with Cooper, his situation will be very important. If he is paired with a good, creative offensive coordinator who will utilize his versatility — line him up in the slot, out wide and in the backfield — Cooper can be a solid fantasy asset. Cleveland isn’t a dream destination for anyone, but Head Coach Hue Jackson may be someone who could get a lot of mileage out of Cooper. I feel the same about Head Coach Chip Kelly and San Francisco. New England, maybe more than any other organization, values utility in a player, making them a possible fit, although the Patriots are more in need of an outside threat.

Cooper is never going to be a team’s top receiver, but he will be a very good second or third option. He’s a solid second-round pick in rookie drafts, which is right where his March rookie ADP falls as the 13th overall player (WR9). I’d say that’s about spot on for Cooper, possibly a touch too high. Once rookie drafts get into the second round, there will be a clump of wideouts who are tough for me to separate. He belongs in that group, and how he performs at his pro day, as well as where he winds up, will both affect his value.

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