Keith Cooper Jr. Continues to Impress
Keith Cooper Jr. might be a backend player who sticks
During the Miami Dolphins’ preseason game against the New York Giants, one of the few positives was the play of a guy I barely knew was on the team: Keith Cooper Jr. Play after play, Cooper caught my eye and made me glad he was a Dolphin.
Cooper kept flashing, so I went back to the All-22 to see whether my live impression held up. It did. Then Alain Poupart asked Jeff Hafley about Cooper, further validating what the film showed: Cooper Jr. might be a gem after all.
I don’t know whether Cooper will make the team, but I think he should. And if you watch my film study, you’ll see why Hafley spoke positively about him—and why I think Cooper deserves a spot on this roster.
Cooper Jr. Offers Positional Flexibility
Keith Cooper Jr. is a tweener at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. Normally, that can be difficult to overcome. But in a one-gap scheme, with a coach who values positional flexibility and has the creativity to use unconventional pieces, Cooper Jr. has a chance to find a role—even if it is initially on the practice squad.
Cooper Jr. helps his chances with stout run defense that allows him to play bigger than his listed size. He combines physicality with agility and speed.
Hand usage matters at every level, especially in the NFL, and Cooper Jr. is violent with his hands. This one put a big ol’ smile on my face. He gets overaggressive and loses gap integrity, but the way he throws aside the offensive tackle is such sexy film. His physicality and hand usage are top-notch, and both were on display many times during the half he played.
Cooper Jr. even showed some pass-rush skill, and Hafley remarked on it in his presser. There were some quality instinctive adjustments on these plays. He’s more of a savvy rusher than a technical one, but that can grow.
Now, no matter how physical Cooper Jr. is and how good his hands are, he’s still a tweener. His lack of raw power is his limitation, and if he gets bigger, it will likely limit his agility and speed. Below, you can see that double-teams neutralize him. But that’s an issue with most defensive linemen, so it’s minor in my evaluation compared with the rest of his assets.
Cooper Jr. is a long shot, but I LIKE Him MORE than Butler
With Zach Sieler older and dinged, Kenneth Grant nicked and still not clicking, and Zeek Biggers and Jordan Phillips ascending, Cooper Jr. is fighting for a roster spot with veteran Matthew Butler. Butler is a veteran cog, but he is not very good and offers zero upside. Given Trey Moore’s injury and Chop Robinson still growing in his run defense, Cooper Jr. is a guy you can play situationally on the edge to stop the run, give the veterans a rotational breather, and see if he develops further.
If Cooper Jr. has taken such a big step in his second season, maybe there’s more to come. And isn’t that what this season is really all about?
I hope Cooper Jr. sticks. I don’t know if he will, but I’d love to find out with him dressed in a Dolphins uniform.
You can also check out more of my work at Ace Per Head
