August 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) during the fourth quarter in a preseason NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Rams 18-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Dre Kirkpatrick knew what he'd be watching the minute he popped in tape of Amari Cooper.
The Bengals cornerback knows all about his fellow Crimson Tide alum. Now, he'll be the first cornerback tasked with slowing Cooper down.
"He looks great. He doesn't look like a rookie, I'll tell you that," Kirkpatrick told ESPN's Bill Williamson. "He looks like he's been here before."
Kirkpatrick just missed Cooper when the former left Alabama and the latter arrived as a freshman. But Kirkpatrick obviously kept up with his former program and watched Cooper blossom into a Biletnikoff winner.
Oakland's rookie is already receiving some Rookie of the Year buzz. He's deceptively quick, possesses soft hands, and is deadly in the open field.
Kirkpatrick thinks his former program taught Cooper well. Now, it's up to the cornerback to teach him a thing or two.
"It comes from him being a great player and going great in college and getting coached by a great coach in coach Saban," Kirkpatrick said. "Mentally I know he's ready, but he's still got to go out there and compete like I do."
(h/t ESPN)
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