Earlier today, we learned that Alabama safety Landon Collins would be entering his name in the 2015 NFL draft, and it appears two noteworthy teammates will join him. According to ESPN’s Alex Scarborough and Chris Low, junior wide receiver Amari Cooper and junior running back T.J. Yeldon will also forgo their remaining college eligibility and enter the ’15 draft.
Of the two, Cooper is the bigger name — he is widely considered the best wideout available among 2015 prospects, and is considered likely to come off the board within the first few picks this spring. He racked up an incredible 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 124 receptions in 2014 for Alabama, averaging 123+ yards per game. Both ESPN.com and CBSSports.com consider Cooper a top-five prospect, though the first mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay has the young receiver coming off the board at No. 6, to the Jets.
As for Yeldon, his yards per carry slipped to 5.0 in 2014 after he topped 6.0 as a freshman and sophomore, but the 21-year-old still had a strong junior season, compiling 979 yards and 11 TDs on the ground. He grades as ESPN’s sixth-best running back and 49th-best overall prospect, while CBSSports.com isn’t quite as bullish, ranking Yeldon seventh among RBs and 80th overall.