National Football League

Senior Bowl 2017: Cooper Kupp Raising NFL Draft Stock in a Hurry

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:55 a.m. ET

Fansided, Kristopher Knox/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Cooper Kupp was historically prolific at Eastern Washington, but the Senior Bowl has thrust him into the national spotlight and has his draft stock rising.

You’re forgiven if you’re not too familiar with Eastern Washington product Cooper Kupp. He isn’t coming out of a big-time college program and, despite being a four-year starter, he hasn’t spent a lot of time on the national stage. If you did get a chance to become familiar with the 6-2 standout pass-catcher, though, you probably noticed the traits of a future NFL star.

While one can certainly question the level of competition Kupp faced while at Eastern Washington, it’s difficult to argue with his production. Kupp caught 428 passes for 6,464 yards and 73 touchdowns in four seasons—that’s impressive at any level.

Now, thanks to a strong week of practices at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Kupp is likely to see his stock rise almost as quickly as he finds holes in the defense. Kupp has been one of the biggest standouts in practices during Senior Bowl Week, according to Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com:

My top-5 performers from North's practice:

LB Haason Reddick
WR Cooper Kupp
DE Tarell Basham
TE Jonnu Smith
OT Taylor Moton#SeniorBowl

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 25, 2017

Regardless of Kupp’s performance in the Senior Bowl game itself, he’s already done enough to earn a place in the national spotlight. Scouts and draft analysts typically place more weight on practice performances than on the Senior Bowl itself because of the game’s exhibition nature.

What talent-evaluators have learned is that Kupp isn’t just a one-trick receiver. Kupp has impressed because of both his route-running and because of his speed.

EWU receiver Cooper Kupp has been the fastest player for the North Team (20.7 mph max velocity) via @CatapultSports and @RosterWatch

— Reese's Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 26, 2017

It’s also worth noting that Kupp possessed the type of confidence that team’s look for in a go-to pass-catcher.

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“When I step on the field, I have an earnest belief that I’m the best who’s stepped on the field,” Kupp explained, per Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier. “I also believe there is so much more that I need to improve on, that I am not good enough yet…I’m never going to be stagnant or OK with any part of my game.”

Kupp has definitely risen to the occasion when his team has faced top level competition.

When Kupp and the Eagles played Washington State at the beginning of the year, Kupp ripped off 206 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus (PFF College) rated Kupp ninth overall among all collegiate receivers in Week 1 because of that performance. Washington State finished the year second in the Pac-12 North with an overall record of 8-5.

The next step is for Kupp to prove himself at the scouting combine and in individual workouts. NFL Media’s Gil Brandt even believes Kupp could end up going in the first round once all is said and done:

EWU WR Cooper Kupp really helping himself at @seniorbowl. If he runs well at combine, possible he sneaks into Round 1.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) January 25, 2017

At the very least, Kupp has ensured that he won’t be overlooked in the months leading up to the draft. And if he can again step up in Saturday’s Senior Bowl game and later at the NFL Combine, his stock will only continue to rise.