Brandin Cooks vs Amari Cooper: Who is the better wide receiver?

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Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns catches a pass

Between the two elite wide receivers, Brandin Cooks and Amari Cooper, only one can be considered the better, and that is Cooper. The reason is that Cooks' pass-catching abilities pale compared to the Alabama Crimson Tide alum' Cooper's.

Both players have been in the NFL for at least eight seasons, with Cooks being the more experienced one, as he was drafted in 2014 by the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Cooper was drafted by the Oakland Raiders as the fourth pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Furthermore, while both players can claim to be elite pass catchers, Cooper has been selected for the Pro Bowl four times.

Hence, as the saying goes, men lie, and women lie, but numbers don't lie applies to the NFL, as Cooper's personal accolades far outshine his contemporary's. Amari Cooper is a better wide receiver than Brandin Cooks, which is unlikely to change anytime soon.


Brandin Cooks' NFL career timeline

Brandin Cooks was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 20th pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Drafted out of Oregon State University, Cooks was chosen to be a pass-catching weapon for future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. Cooks appeared in ten games in his first season with the Saints, putting up a stat line of 550 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He only played in 10 games in his rookie season, as he was getting used to life in the National Football League.

Brandin Cooks was a member of the New Orleans Saints for three seasons before he was traded to the New England Patriots ahead of the 2017 NFL season. He had a productive time in New England, catching passes from the GOAT Tom Brady. He put up a stat line of 1,082 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his only season in New England before he got traded once again, this time to the Los Angeles Rams.

Cooks joined the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2018 NFL season, where he caught passes from Jared Goff as the number one option in Los Angeles. He put up his customary 1,000-plus receiving yards for his first year. He finished the 2018 NFL season with 1,204 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His second season with the Rams could have been more impressive, as he finished with a mere 583 receiving yards and two touchdowns. That got him traded to the Houston Texans before the 2020 NFL season.

Brandin Cooks was phenomenal in Houston, as he regularly carried the team on his back as they dealt with QB problems. He posted over 2,500 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season.


Amari Cooper's NFL career timeline

Amari Cooper's NFL career started when he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders as the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

Copper was chosen from the University of Alabama, where he starred for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He had a solid time with the Raiders, totaling 3,000 plus receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in 52 games. His time with the Raiders ended abruptly, though, as he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.

The Alabama icon put the team on notice in Dallas, as he earned an extra two Pro Bowl nods with America's team. He was Dak Prescott's favorite target in Dallas and had the knack of making highlight reel catches.

He put up a stat line of over 3,000 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns as a member of the Cowboys before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2022. Since then, Cooper has been doing his thing in Cleveland, being one of the few bright lights on the Browns' offense.

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Edited by Bhargav