Xavier Cooper, DT/DE, WSU

Nobody is talking about this guy but he quietly had the best performance of his position at the combine .

vs oregon
vs stanford

I think he’s the perfect 5-tech/3-tech hybrid in this defense. One of the most explosive big men in the draft is and incredibly light on his feet for 293 pounds with room to grow. He tested through the roof at the combine. Top of his group in a number of drills including a 7.23 3-cone, 4.37 short shuttle, 4.86 40 time, and 110" broad jump. I read he also interviews extremely well.

Here’s an example of combine:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/JoeGoodberry/status/569517628831752192[/tweet]

At 6’3” he plays big, though he has short arms I don’t think see it as a negative he can’t overcome. He’s got a thick, muscular build and plays with high intensity. A type of player who runs sideline to sideline to make a tackle and will add a couple sacks a season to his statline from hustle plays alone. In the videos above, he played great, sometimes, dominate against Oregon’s offensive line using his acceleration to shoot into the backfield and strength in the run game to pop the O line and shed to make the tackle.

He struggles at times against double teams. He'll need to add strength and probably should have returned his senior year to develop a bit more. His mobility is his best tool at that size, but he plays with strength and balance as well which gives him enough tools in the tool bag to be effective in all 3 downs.

Cooper wrote a draft Diary:
Part 1
part 2

I've seen his stock anywhere from a top-75 prospect to a 6th rd-UDFA grade given from Gil Brandt. Defensive tackle may not be a high need, but Cooper belongs in the 2nd-3rd rd range. Anything after that is a steal.

We know the Seahawks like those athletic linemen. Good name to keep an eye on.

Was reading up on this guy and think he's a keeper. I would take him no later than the third round and am considering the second round since we pick so late.

I like his motor and his athleticism surprised me.

Good find, he looks like a bigger Bennett. I think he'd be a good fit here.

Cooper's snap anticipation and first step are almost Michael bennett like. So fast that sometimes you swear he must be offsides.

I had time to watch a 2014 game vs Nevada of Cooper and I came away even more impressed. He was again solid throughout and, at times, dominate in his role.

A little more information on him: They rotated players in to keep his legs fresh, but he stayed on the field for basically every down & distance situation which shows his versatility. WSU played him at DE in its 3-4 defense, but they also ran some short yardage, 4-3 looks where they moved him inside to the 3-tech. He looked natural at each spot, but I think he's a 3-tech for Seattle's D with the ability to play the 5-tech role.

I agree with McGruff who said he has the first step of Michael Bennett which allows him to be so disruptive at times. The kind of first step that could PRODUCE at CenturyLink. He also reminds me of that quickness and strength combination that has worked so well for the undersized but powerful Aaron Donald and Henry Melton's of the league. Cooper is a little light at 293 lbs but packs a punch.

Cooper called himself the 2nd best DT in the draft. I think he's overselling himself, but for a team looking to add an athletic, inside disruptive player Cooper would be neck and neck with some of the other possible first round DTs like Carl Davis and Michael Bennett.

I was listening to a draft/off-season podcast done by Rob Staton (Stay-ton) and a couple Fieldgull guys and Kenneth Arthur said something that caught my attention. He said along the lines that every draft the Seahawks front office will draft a player most people think was taken one or two rounds too early cause Pete and John just don't care how the prospect is viewed outside their team. Now we all know that, but it hit me that as it sits now, Cooper fits that unknown "reach" draft prospect that goes higher than expected and would have everybody asking "who"?

I know the allure of the "ideal" Pete Carroll 3-tech that was wanted for Seahawks fans a couple years ago has worn off, but that's the upside I see when I watch Cooper play. For that reason he's high on my watch list.

McGruff":1mk13hg7 said:

Cooper's snap anticipation and first step are almost Michael bennett like. So fast that sometimes you swear he must be offsides.

Click to expand...

His initial burst is elite. It's startling how reliably he wins the initial advantage. Like 6 out of every 7 snaps he's won the advantage at first contact.

I like how he shows significant improvement over 2013. The game from that year are kind of meh. Indicates he has the ability to develop.

Which is something that he needs to do. If Cooper learns how to hand fight well -- maybe work with Cassius Marsh -- he could be essentially Aaron Donald. He does have difficulty getting clear of blockers even when he's put them at serious distress. It's like he gets 70% of the way to a complete win, but doesn't have that finishing ability to burst free of a blocker.

For a one gap scheme, he has a ton of potential. Definitely worth a 3rd round pick on. Incredibly athletic. Length could be an issue. Obvious high motor/high desire kind of player. That much leaps off the screen.

Effort and initial quickness are at incredible levels. I see him as having a great base to work with. If he were to learn how to fight off blockers better, he could be a John Randle clone. Literally. He has that kind of quickness.

Attyla the Hawk":3vdpvpef said:

McGruff":3vdpvpef said:

Cooper's snap anticipation and first step are almost Michael bennett like. So fast that sometimes you swear he must be offsides.

Click to expand...

His initial burst is elite. It's startling how reliably he wins the initial advantage. Like 6 out of every 7 snaps he's won the advantage at first contact.

I like how he shows significant improvement over 2013. The game from that year are kind of meh. Indicates he has the ability to develop.

Which is something that he needs to do. If Cooper learns how to hand fight well -- maybe work with Cassius Marsh -- he could be essentially Aaron Donald. He does have difficulty getting clear of blockers even when he's put them at serious distress. It's like he gets 70% of the way to a complete win, but doesn't have that finishing ability to burst free of a blocker.

For a one gap scheme, he has a ton of potential. Definitely worth a 3rd round pick on. Incredibly athletic. Length could be an issue. Obvious high motor/high desire kind of player. That much leaps off the screen.

Effort and initial quickness are at incredible levels. I see him as having a great base to work with. If he were to learn how to fight off blockers better, he could be a John Randle clone. Literally. He has that kind of quickness.

Click to expand...

Man I got shivers when you said John Randle clone. Good observations all around.

I like the Sheldon Richardson comparison, too. Cooper is a knotch below because he doesnt match Richardsons strength but both are really similar.

Tacoma native too. Sad to see him leave WSU early but if the Seahawks pick him up, I learn to live with it.

He will be a second round pick, so 3rd is out of the question.

He had an interview on 710 today, he said his favorite player is Michael Bennett, and he wants to play with the hawks.

He is the aaron Donald of this year.

I'm starting to really like this guy.

He's just so athletic. Seems like the perfect DL pick for the Hawks.

Here's that 710 interview he did. Great listen.

http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_pla ... nd%20Moore

Lots to like about him, but I just wonder whether those 31" arms might remove him from the Hawk's list?

Recon_Hawk":1djxm13v said:

I had time to watch a 2014 game vs Nevada of Cooper and I came away even more impressed. He was again solid throughout and, at times, dominate in his role.

Click to expand...

Alright, I think you can take this as the help like I intend. It gets pretty annoying to see so much, especially within an overall good post. "Dominate" is a verb; you want to use "dominant" here. Spread the word.

jimbojones31":1i2ulrk1 said:

Lots to like about him, but I just wonder whether those 31" arms might remove him from the Hawk's list?

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Most of the Hawks' physical 'limits' seem to be more guidelines.

sutz":schta3sk said:

jimbojones31":schta3sk said:

Lots to like about him, but I just wonder whether those 31" arms might remove him from the Hawk's list?

Click to expand...

Most of the Hawks' physical 'limits' seem to be more guidelines.

Click to expand...

Hope so, his tape is great and I'd love to get him at #63.

purpleneer":3h1f9gos said:

Recon_Hawk":3h1f9gos said:

I had time to watch a 2014 game vs Nevada of Cooper and I came away even more impressed. He was again solid throughout and, at times, dominate in his role.

Click to expand...

Alright, I think you can take this as the help like I intend. It gets pretty annoying to see so much, especially within an overall good post. "Dominate" is a verb; you want to use "dominant" here. Spread the word.

Click to expand...

I strive to be a better writer, so I don't mind the help. I appreciate you pointing that out. You are on your own educating the masses, though.

Recon_Hawk":3r0otjbk said:

I strive to be a better writer, so I don't mind the help. I appreciate you pointing that out. You are on your own educating the masses, though.

Click to expand...

I figured you could handle it, from the quality of your writing in general. As much as a lot of that stuff gets annoying, I'm pretty sure much more effort would often be fruitless and counterproductive.