Pharoh Cooper drafted in 4th round by LA Rams

Pharoh Cooper’s new home will be on the West Coast.

The former South Carolina star was selected Saturday in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, or No. 117 overall. He was the first Gamecock taken in the 2016 draft.

Cooper, a 5-foot-11, 203-pound North Carolina native who gave up his final year of eligibility to enter the draft this season, was the 13th wide receiver selected in this year’s draft. He led the Gamecocks with 2,109 receiving yards in the last two years.

“This is a guy who is a football player,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said on the network’s broadcast of the draft. “Forget the size, speed, the measurables. This kid makes big plays all over the field, in traffic, down the field. He’s a baller. He’s a guy who goes and gets it. He fights. He blocks. I thought he would be a second-round draft pick. Receivers that weren’t as good as him I thought were picked before him.”

Cooper had only one serious pre-draft conversation with anyone from the Rams so he was surprised by the pick, he said during a conference call set up by the team.

“God has a plan and this is where I was supposed to be. I’m excited to be a part of the Rams organization,” he said. “You can line me up in the backfield, slot, the outside. My biggest asset is probably making plays after the catch. Once I catch the ball, I can easily gain another 5 to 10 yards after I make the catch.”

The Rams took former Cal quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on Thursday.

Cooper watched the draft with family and friends in his hometown of Havelock, N.C. He spent the first part of the week in Columbia working out at the Gamecocks facilities.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Pharoh Cooper drafted in 4th round by LA Rams."