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What did the staff writers have to say about it? We give our grades for the first pick.
Don't forget to leave your opinion of the pick in the comments below!
RedC: A
A safe pick, Cooper plays with power and speed and will do well on the move in the Cardinals new zone blocking scheme. Whether they decide to start him at guard or center may depend as much on who they acquire later in the draft as it does on who is currently on the team. Wherever they put him, Cooper will be a huge upgrade. In a "normal" draft, Cooper would struggle to crack the top fifteen, but he will be a crucial contributor in the Cardinals interior line for a long time, and I struggle to find much fault with that outcome. Given his scheme fit, I don't see Cooper as any less of a sure pick than Warmack or Lotulelei, two of the best remaining players. There are a lot of good interior linemen left in the draft, but none offer the talent of Cooper.
Handsome Bert: A
Despite the arguments against taking an OG in the top 10, Cooper and Warmack are the exceptions. He's got the technique and athleticism to be solid from day one and will upgrade, not just the line, but the entire offense. The Cardinals have issues of depth at the other positions, Guard and OLB are the only starting positions that are poor (if you believe Arians comments on Levi Brown). Since, they weren't getting a top 3 tackle, they did the next best thing.
Michaeloliver123:
With my top 5 guys going off the board in the first 6 picks, I wanted the Cardinals to trade this pick away, I didn't feel 7 was 'worthy' of an offensive guard. Cooper was my top guard prospect, he is more athletic, better in pass protection, and a great fit in the Cardinals offensive line. Would Mingo/Jordan or the any of the three elite OTs been available, Cooper wouldn't have been the pick, but he was my best player available following the first 7 picks.
Jesse Reynolds: B
I really like Cooper and his film looks great. I'm just having trouble digesting a guard with the seventh pick. This draft has had 7 OL selected as I write this so maybe I need to throw my beliefs out of the window for this draft. He's a big upgrade and I'm excited to see our line.
Jess Root: A-
I wasn't really a proponent of a guard at number seven, but what else were they going to do? The tackles were gone, Mingo and Ansah were gone. I didn't want to see a receiver or a corner. The only other choice I might have liked more would have been Star.
Cooper, though, will step right in and improve the interior of the line. He is athletic, and the Cardinals have had a great track record recently drafting for athleticism.
I have no complaint at all. This is a great pick.
Skii: A
We need O-line, and they drafted O-line. What more can I ask for? After Fisher and Joeckel, you could argue that Cooper was the next best prospect. Cooper is going to help out the line tremendously, and let me end it with this: Carson Palmer took a huge sigh of relief when this pick was announced.
Dlp4gto: B-
Was Cooper really the Best Player Available at #7? Why not take Dee Milliner? The Cards didn't really need a CB, but his selection would have solidified the defensive backfield for a decade. However, Cooper will plug right in and start from Day One. So, it wasn't a total backfire.