Patriots kickoff 2016: A look at Jonathan Cooper
Today marks 65 days until the New England Patriots open 2016, so we’re profiling one of the the owners of the No. 65 jersey, guard Jonathan Cooper.
The other is Anthony Johnson; be sure to check out that profile while you’re on the site today.
Size: 6-foot-2, 312 pounds
College: North Carolina
2015 stats: 14 games (nine starts)
NFL experience: Three seasons
Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina
Cooper entered the NFL as one of the most anticipated guard prospects of this century. After all, he was drafted at No. 7 overall in 2013, the highest a guard had been taken since Jim Dombrowski in the 1986 NFL Draft. However, Cooper’s career has been a bit of a disappointment up to this point.
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In the midst of his first NFL training camp, Cooper suffered an injury that forever altered the trajectory of his pro career. The North Carolina product broke his left fibula in the Cardinals’ third preseason game against the San Diego Chargers, an injury which Cooper himself has blamed for his rocky beginning in the NFL.
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When Cooper returned to the field in 2014, it became clear that the leg break had taken its toll on an offensive lineman who used athleticism to snowplow for Giovani Bernard in college en route to consensus All-American honors. The Cardinals used him at both left and right guard, but Cooper just wasn’t the same player he was in college.
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2015 saw some improvement for Cooper, as he started nine games predominantly at right guard. The Cardinals were considering using Cooper at center this season before using him as a trade piece in the Chandler Jones sweepstakes.
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Thus far, Cooper has been getting reps at right guard in New England. While the Patriots will give him every opportunity to make the team since he came in the Jones trade, it’s up to Cooper to fend off sophomore pros Tre’ Jackson and Shaq Mason as well as trusty veteran Josh Kline and 2016 draft picks Joe Thuney and Ted Karras.
Next: 10 most promising sophomore pros on Pats’ roster
Be sure to stop by Musket Fire tomorrow as we profile the owner of the No. 64 jersey, guard Chris Barker.