Report: Alabama's Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon plan to enter NFL draft
Alabama junior wide receiver Amari Cooper and junior running back T.J. Yeldon plan to declare for the NFL draft, according to a report from ESPN.com.
Over 14 games this season, Cooper caught an SEC-record 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to earning SEC offensive player of the year honors and the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Cooper also became the first receiver invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony since Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.
Yeldon rushed for 1,012 yards and 11 touchdowns on 194 carries despite dealing with hamstring and ankle injuries for part of the season and splitting carries with sophomore Derrick Henry. He sat out the Crimson Tide's Nov. 22 win over Western Carolina but rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Auburn one week later.
Cooper is projected to be selected in the top half of the first round, while Yeldon is slated by most to be a second or third-round pick. A report also surfaced Thursday saying that teammate Landon Collins, a junior safety, will enter the draft.
Alabama went 12-2 this season.
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