Is Will Sutton worth a 1st round pick?

You won't find many more players who entered the 2013 season with higher expectations than Will Sutton. Coming off a season where he registered 23.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and 5 batted passes, you'd think Sutton didn't have much to build on. After receiving a 5th round grade from the advisory committee, he decided to come back and improve his play.

Last year Sutton was undersized, playing somewhere in the 270's. Knowing teams would adjust, and double him, he's up to 288 this year. There have been reports saying that he got up to his current weight for last years bowl game, where he had 2 sacks. Also, his coach has even said that this is his natural playing weight, so it seems like we tend to over exaggerate his weight issue. Is his weight his biggest weakness? I don't think so. Let's get into his strengths.

Strengths

• Swim Move
• Explosiveness off the snap/First Step
• Position versatility 
• Lighting quick, active Hands
• Holds up surprisingly well against double teams

Many might be surprised by my last point. But for a guy under 290, I thought Sutton did a nice job of not getting completely washed out against double teams. He did a good job of standing his ground. I wouldn't call it a strength, but he has shown the ability to walk OL back into the backfield at times as well.

Sutton has played all along the defensive line. He's lined up head up on the Center, he's lined up as a 1-tech, in the A-gap. He's predominantly played as a 3-tech where he can rush the passer, and has even played 5-tech as a 3-4 defensive end. Sutton has won from each of these positions. His position versatility will really help his case as the draft process moves forward.

If you're grouping players along the defensive line, and who has the best move, Sutton's swim move has to be in the discussion. He's extremely quick off the ball, and sets up defenders with his swim move. He also shows off his snap anticipation as well has his first step. There were numerous times where he was already getting into his swim move, and the OL was still getting out of his stance.

Against USC, he waited a few steps to use the swim move, and was still just as effective.

Versus Stanford he uses the Swim move, and blows up the run in the backfield.

Here is the power that Sutton is capable of

I actually think Sutton should have about 4-5 more tackles for loss, he just hasn't finished the play off in the backfield. But Sutton is a very disruptive player who uses his swim move masterfully and does a good job winning with leverage. Sutton has also showed very good read and react skills. As far as knowing where the play is going, realizing he's not being blocked, & blowing up screens.

Weaknesses 

• Disengaging
• Countering
• Lunging/Staying on his Feet
• Anchoring against the run

I said Sutton holds up well against double teams. What he doesn't do is do a good job of disengaging against the run. He gets himself into trouble when he pops straight up out of his stance, and gets washed out against the run. Look no further than the Stanford game. It was by far his worst game that I watched. My notes say "bad hand usage", "constantly washed out of the run game", "held in check by RG in pass pro."

This is the problem Sutton has against the run. Lineman get into him, and they just lock onto him and are capable of driving him off the ball. He doesn't try and disengage, or counter, he tries to out muscle these guys, and it doesn't work.

The problem with Sutton is, if he doesn't win early, he's not going to win. At least he hasn't shown it yet. You rarely see Sutton win when the OL has his hands on him. That's what he'll need to work on if he wants to be an every down player at the next level. He's capable, we know he can use his hands, evidenced by his spectacular swim move. He just has no counter move against the run, and it gets him in trouble quite a bit when teams run at him. 

Last issue I have with Sutton is that at times he drops his head and lunges himself. You'll see this on the goal line and in short yardage situations. He'll throw himself forward and end up on the ground. If you can't win with power, that's fine, but throwing your body forward does absolutely nothing for your team.

Grade

Grading scale can be explained in depth here. 

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10	8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round	8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round	7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round	7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round	7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round	6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round	6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round	5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round	5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round	4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations	4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable	< 4.0

Trait	Weight	Grade
Run Stopping	2	1.4
Hand Usage/placement	4	3.5
First Step	2	2
Tackling	2	1.8
Disengage	3	2.4
Read & React	2	2
Leverage/Strength	4	3.8
Pass Rush	2	2
Toughness/Motor	2	1.8
Lateral Movement	2	2

Sutton graded out to an 8.1 for me, so a late 1st round grade. Though he's not a force against the run, he still holds up well enough against double teams, and his issues with disengaging are a matter of him not using his hands. I believe his leverage is a strength, unlike most, and that helps him win. It's hard to ignore his elite swim move and quickness off the ball. He's made a living in the backfield in the last two years. I can imagine Sutton playing either as a 4-3 3-tech, or a 3-4 5-tech in a one gap scheme and being a very good player in the NFL for years to come.

Player Comparison

I've heard Geno Atkins floated around, due to being undersized and very quick, I can't go that far just yet. Atkins is a monster. Perhaps Sutton can develop into that type of game altering player, but not just yet. Atkins is very good when you run at him, Sutton isn't there just yet.

Instead, when I watch Sutton, I see Corey Liuget, who's a very good player in his own right. They both win early, are very disruptive. They both also read plays very well. Liuget makes plays against the run, but it's usually when he shoots the gaps, much like Sutton.

All GIFs courtesy of Draft Breakdown

Sammy Watkins: Notes from 2013 FBS Games, GIFs, Grade, and Player Comparison

Watkins vs. Georgia

• Makes strong, contested catch. Nice route on comeback, even though he rounds the route. Had created separation by then.
• Nice cut block on bubble screen.
• Catches Ball behind him, runs over safety, outruns D for 60 + TD. "Wow" play
• Draws DPI knowing he had no chance to catch the ball, smart. 
• Sat in zone nicely on spot route, no target, but showed good awareness in zone.
• Gets to top speed very quickly on reverse.

Good game by Watkins, was held back a little by back QB play, but Watkins showed off his special ability when the ball is in his hands.

Watkins vs. Virginia

• Runs right by CB for easy deep TD
• Gets out of his break nicely on slant, but lets the ball get into him & allows CB to defelct it
• Bad ball on interception, but does a poor job high pointing ball and breaking it up
• Very Explosive off LOS. Top end speed in a matter of steps
• Nice job of working back to the ball for catch
• CB bites on inside seam route, leaves Watkins wide open for 90+ TD

Only ran a few different type of routes, slant/vertical/curl. Everything else was bubbles. Still can see his elite explosiveness. Wasn't really challenged this game.

Watkins vs. Maryland

• Nice cut on Bubble 
• High points ball nicely on errant bubble, makes LB miss downfield for 1st down
• Wow play-catches high bubble, runs over DB, big gain.
• Catches slant over middle with hands knowing he's going to get hit
• Does great job of catching the ball and immediately getting upfield
• Fumbles fighting for extra yards.

Another game where he was featured running lots of bubbles. He did run more drags/digs this game. Ended up with 14 catches, really maximizes what the play can be every-time he touches the ball.

Watkins vs. NC State

• Runs a nice comeback route & creates separation. Waits on the ball, though.
• Caught 3-4 bubbles in a row. Just extended running plays to get him the ball
• Does nice job of sitting in zone on a spot route
• Gets behind D on a PA pass, is overthrown. Should've been an easy TD
• Excellent deep out route where he sells the in, and turns CB around. 
• Fails to come back to the ball again, CB breaks up pass.
• Makes a great catch on a 5 yard out route reaching behind him.
• True hands catcher.

Another solid game. Ends up 10 catches, little worried about him not coming back to the ball. This seems like it could be a habit because of the limited routes other than bubble screens.

Watkins vs. FSU

• Catches swing pass out of the backfield and makes safety miss in open field.
• Settles down in zone, under-thrown, uncatchable 
• Catches quick slant out of slot & makes safety miss
• Makes great catch along sideline. Contested & gets his feet down. Was 3rd & 10
• Drop. Didn't get his head around quick enough on flat route out of the backfield

Ended up with 8 catches, but was really held in check. Not the usual screen involvement like usual. Was more spot routes than usual and shovel passes. All in all didn't have much of an impact after 1st few series.

Watkins vs. USCe

• Shows acceleration and good inside release on deep ball. Makes safety miss, then another DB miss downfield
• Turns 1 yard gain into a 10 yard gain. Just short of 1st down.
• "Drop" on a package play where he was the bubble. QB threw it high and outside.
• Twice now he's failed to come back to the ball.
• Very willing blocker.

Not very many vertical routes other than the 57 yard play. Lots of flat routes and underneath plays not until the last couple drives when they were down 31-17.

That was the drop where he failed to come back

Watkins vs. Wake Forest

• Runs a curl and go, sells it just enough where the CB bites on the ball. Is able to fight off CB, who ran into him, for 64 yard TD.
• Was open early for an easy TD in the red zone. QB throws it late, then throws it inside to where the safety can get it. Incomplete.
• Has been open on a few routes now, just not being targeted.
• Catches bubble screen, makes 1st 2 players miss for gain of 9. 
• Draws DPI again in similar situation where he knows he can't catch the ball.
• Slant out of slot, runs nice route, looks back on time, and makes safety miss to gain extra 10+ yards after.
• Really like Watkins as a blocker.
• 12:45 left in 3rd QTR, waits on ball, CB deflects it. Easy catch if he works back to the ball.

This was a very good game for Watkins, even though he wasn't being targeted, he was open. Very active blocker and makes people miss effortlessly. Still issues with coming back to the ball.

Watkins vs. Georgia Tech

• Covered on Deep route
• QB sacked, but Watkins' burst off the line was fantastic
• Gets away with push off, but long TD stands
• Nice cutblock on screen and shows off his ridiculous speed for TD. Breaks Angles.
• Nice cut block on the bubble screen

Clemson ran the ball a little more this game. Again, Watkins did a great job of maximizing every chance he gets. Either turns screen plays that could go for a couple yards to 7-8 yards, or as evidenced in this game, can break them for 40+ yard touchdowns. As usual, showed off his vertical speed.

Grade

For any 1st time readers, grade can be fully explained here.

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10	8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round	8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round	7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round	7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round	7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round	6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round	6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round	5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round	5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round	4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations	4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable	< 4.0

Trait	Weight	Grade
Route Running	4	3.5
Speed	2.5	2.5
Hands	3	2.8
Ball Skills	3	2.6
YAC Ability	2	2
Effort	2	2
Blocking	2	2
Toughness	2	2
Awareness	2.5	2.4
Athleticism	2	2

Grade

My grade for Watkins is an 8.5. He's a very skilled player. Think he can succeed inside and outside and is a terror once the ball is in his hands. He does have issues with coming back to the ball, and isn't an advanced route runner at this point. Will need to improve on that in the NFL, but everything points to him being successful for a long time when you combine his speed, strong hands, and overall athleticism. 

Player Comparison

He's a spitting image of Torrey Smith, but not as raw as Smith was when he came out. They are the same in explosiveness, as Watkins should run low 4.4's at worst, and a great pro agility time. But like Smith, Watkins will need to refine his route running skills. The comparison isn't perfect, because Watkins has much better hands at this point than Smith, and has very good awareness for a player that runs a limited route tree. If Watkins works at it like I think he will, he'll become the next Roddy White as a route runner. So Torrey Smith type explosiveness with potential Roddy White route running skills.

Kelvin Benjamin Might Have the Highest Ceiling of Any Draft Eligible Receiver, but Will He Be a Top 50 Pick?

Everything you learned about Kelvin Benjamin in 2012, or even early in this season, forget it. This is a new year. Players progress, players evolve, players get better.

This year, to say Benjamin has "flipped the switch" is putting it lightly. He's no longer going through the motions in his routes, "gator arming" balls, and loafing altogether. As the season has gone on Benjamin has bee relied on much more, and is playing with a consistent edge, as opposed to last year/early this year. Head coach Jimbo Fisher said Benjamin was playing around 248 pounds last year. He's shed nearly 15 pounds this year, and you can see it, Benjamin is much more explosive this year.

A red-shirt sophomore, Benjamin will be 23 in February, so it's very likely he'll enter the draft. But how high can he go? Just how talented is he? Will he be a one year wonder?

Strengths

• Winning the Catch Point
• Beating Press Coverage
• Ball Skills
• YAC Ability
• Athleticism 

When I say Benjamin wins the catch point, I mean he owns the catch point. Just a year ago when FSU would use Benjamin in jump ball situations, he wouldn't extend his arms. He also had a huge problem of pushing off and drawing a pass interference. This year, he's using 6'5 frame and has embarrassed many corners. His ability to not only high point the ball, but adjust to the ball while it's in the air, and controlling his body while he's doing it, are as good as it gets in college football.

At 6'5 and over 235 pounds, it's no surprise that Benjamin is so effective at countering press coverage. But this wasn't always the case. Benjamin was nowhere near as explosive off the line of scrimmage in years past. This year, he's been great at using his hands to negate defenders from re-routing him.

At times, he can just let his athleticism take over. As Loucheiz Purifoy found out, he can just run right by you.

His ball skills and route running are much improved from a year ago, too. Last year, he had issues coming back to the ball, and rounding routes. This year, he's not taking as many steps to get out of his breaks, and as you can see in the image below, he's excelled in creating separation at more than just vertical routes.

Benjamin will be successful early in his NFL career is his ability to adjust while the ball is in the air, as well as giving his quarterback an enormous catch radius.

Because he's no longer a "body catcher", even when Benjamin is covered, he's open.

It makes life as a quarterback 10 times easier when you know you have some leeway on your ball placement.

When Benjamin has the ball in his hands, he's a terror to bring down. I've shown you his explosiveness off the line, but he has the lateral movements of a 190 pound receiver. That coupled with him being bigger than linebackers makes him a YAC monster, and a headache for opposing defensive backs to tackle on the first try.

The only real stat I value when watching receivers is their catch percentage. I want to know is their production a product of high volume? I want to know how reliable you are as a pass catcher. Anything over 70% is good. By my numbers, Benjamin has 45 catches on 69 targets, which is 65%. For the amount of routes that come beyond 15 yards, that's pretty respectable, but it also leads into some of Benjamin's downfalls.

Weaknesses

• Focus Drops
• Disguising his routes
• Reading Coverages
• Consistency
• 100% Every Snap

He's grown so much, that most of his weaknesses are nitpicking. He's had problems at times showing full effort when he knows the ball isn't coming his way. 

At times, Benjamin will still round his routes. Because he is so big and fast he can get away with it. He'll still be bigger at the next level, but NFL corners, once they have tape on him, will be able to have a good feel for what routes he runs if he doesn't get more crisp in his route running. 

Benjamin has also improved at sitting down in routes, but he'll still need to get better at reading coverages. He'll see more combo coverages at the next level, now he's basically seeing anywhere from 2-4 coverages a game.

My biggest problem with Benjamin is his "focus drops." These are drive killers. The spectacular plays are fun, but the drops are inexcusable. It's not as if he's dropping contested catches, because he's great at that. He's dropping balls his way where no one is around him.

This has happened all year, not just the Florida game. Benjamin needs to show more focus in order to be a complete wide receiver.

Grade

As always, my grade can be explained here.

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10	8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round	8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round	7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round	7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round	7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round	6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round	6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round	5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round	5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round	4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations	4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable	< 4.0

Trait	Weight	Grade
Route Running	4	3.5
Speed	2.5	2.2
Hands	3	2.5
Ball Skills	3	3
YAC Ability	2	2
Effort	2	1.7
Blocking	2	1.8
Toughness	2	2
Awareness	2.5	2.2
Athleticism	2	2

My grade for Benjamin came out to an 8.24. Even with the drops, he is such a unique athlete that dominates the catch point and has a catch radius that quarterbacks will drool over. Combined that with his ability after the catch, and you see why Benjamin is a 1st round talent.

Player Comparison

Benjamin is good, but he's not Calvin Johnson good. Megatron was a 4.3 guy, Benjamin will likely run 4.47-4.49 from what I've seen. I compare him to a more explosive Alshon Jeffery. Both are nightmares at the catch point and a pain to tackle. Both have a tendency to round their routes and not explode out of their breaks. 

The film for this breakdown is from draftbreakdown.com, tomahawknation.com, and YouTube.

Could Darqueze Dennard be the 1st Cornerback selected in the NFL Draft?

If you like physical football, then you're a fan of Darqueze Dennard. Dennard is physical, to a fault. When he gets his hands on you, RIP. But don't be fooled in thinking Dennard is all physical. He's a great technician in his own right. At the line of scrimmage, he is very patient, showing good initial footwork. He does a great job of putting himself in a position to make a play. A very smart and instinctive player who is arguably the best at his position when it comes to run support.

Strengths

• Press Mirror Technique
• Cover Skills/Positioning
• Route Recognition 
• Ball Skills
• Run Support

Dennard has this down pat. He uses his excellent size, 5'11, 197, and go go gadget arms to  his advantage. He does a fantastic job of getting his hands on the receiver late in routes or at the top of routes. This evens out any athletic disadvantage he is in.



Notice the late grab by Dennard once he looks back for the ball.

This next play is a great example of Dennard's mirror ability.

Some of said that Dennard is limited to press only schemes, I disagree. Think he is just as comfortable in off coverage reading the quarterback.



In the above example, he shows great short area quickness and defines the term "click & close."

Here, he reads the quarterbacks 3 step drop, breaks on the ball beautifully. He does everything but finish the play.



My final example he is in press coverage again. But here, it's Cover 2. Notice as soon as #1 leaves, he shifts his focus to #2. This isn't sexy by any means, but it shows he has a full understanding of his assignment.



Dennard is what I'd call a feisty player at the catch point. He does a good job of using his hands, or as the 3rd GIF showed, jarring the ball loose with a big hit. He also is one of the better corners at turning, finding the ball, without losing speed.

Here, he grabs the receiver downfield twice. But so subtle that he can get away with it.

Did this a couple times against Notre Dame.

Dennard has showed he's not afraid to stick his nose in the run game, either. A very willing tackler who at times launches himself, but the fact that as soon as he reads run, he shows no hesitation to go make the tackle is a positive for me.

Weaknesses

• Long Speed
• Over Aggressiveness
• Gets too high in backpedal
• Hands
• Lack of explosive Athleticism

It's not fair to said his long speed makes him a liability, because that's not true. He doesn't lose his 1-on-1 battles because he's slow, it's a combination of things. Dennard's long speed just isn't a strength of his. When I see him get beat deep, it's usually because of 1 of 3 things. He's either sitting on a route, and gets caught flat-footed, he's getting too grabby, and loses position, or he gets too high in his backpedal, and now is at a disadvantage where the receiver can run right by him.

It might seem off to say someone has good ball skills, but bad hands. But I've seen Dennard drop some easy passes, for example:

He could have arguably 3-5 more interceptions this year if he had just finished the play.

As far as his athleticism goes, he's not a great athlete. You're not seeing him get beat, and just make up yards with his amazing recovery speed. You're not seeing an athlete who explodes up and snatches the ball out of the air. Again, it's not holding him back, because he's a technician, but it does show sometimes and needs to be mentioned.

Grade

My grading scale can be described in full here.

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10	8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round	8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round	7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round	7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round	7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round	6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round	6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round	5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round	5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round	4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations	4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable	< 4.0

Skill	Weight	Grade
Long Speed	2	1.5
Closing Speed/Acceleration	2	1.6
Ball Skills	3	2.8
Eye Discipline	2	2
Flexibility	2	1.8
Athleticism	2	1.6
Route Recognition/Insticts	3	3
Tackling/Blitz Abilty	2	1.8
Cover Skills	4	3.8
Change of Direction/Feet	3	2.7

Dennard graded out to an 8.1. Making him a legit 1st round talent. Add in his positional value, and the much needed ball skills at the position in the NFL, combined with his toughness and natural feel for the game, I have a hard time seeing Dennard escaping the 1st round. He still is "grabby" at times, but he's much improved from a year ago, and you can see the improvements in  his game on a weekly basis.

Player Comparison

It's pretty amazing how much Darqueze resembles Alfonzo Dennard. So many traits match-up. But because that's a lazy comparison, I'm going to go to the other side of the field and compare Dennard to Aqib Talib, the good Talib, the one we saw early in the year. Physical, making plays all over the field, and making up for his lack of athleticism by winning at the line of scrimmage, at the top of the route, and at the catch point.

I get all my videos from the good people at draftbreakdown.com & YouTube.

Brandin Cooks Will be this Years Steal of the Draft

5'10, 185 pounds, and if not for Mike Evans he'd "biggest" receiver entering the NFL draft. That sounds incredibly stupid, right? Well, when you watch Cooks play, really isn't far-fetched, at all. Cooks is one of those guys that is easy to root for based solely on the fact that he's just so damn fun to watch play.

The only thing holding him back, or that's stopped him this year, is the offense he's in.

Let's get into some of Cooks traits.

Route Running

By now, if you've read my thoughts on Marqise Lee, or Odell Beckham Jr, you know how important route running is in my eyes. The thing I love about Cooks is his creativity as a route runner. He's probably faster than anyone guarding him, but he understands how to get open at the top of is route, and he's brilliant at doing so.

In this example, he's running a simple 5 yard in, at the top of his route, he gives the corner a little "Welker stutter & head fake."



If the balls out in front of him, it's a huge play, but nonetheless, he freezes the corner at the top of the route without tipping where he's going. These small things translate.

Here, he's running a go route, he knows where he's going the entire time but gives the corner a subtle jab step inside, helping him create separation.




This is a double whammy. He not only creates separation with his route running skills, but does so with his speed as well.

Cooks isn't limited in his route tree, at all. He's one of the few receivers that don't take a false step off the line of scrimmage, he transitions smoothly in and out of his breaks, and as I've shown, can create separation with his route running ability, not just his athleticism. He's a very savvy route runner with extremely "active" feet.

Speed

You know, the trait that you can't coach. Speed kills and everyone knows it.

In the offseason, Cooks put on 11 pounds of muscle, and you can tell. He's more explosive than he was last year. He's shown this year that he can take the top off of a defense. His ability to get to top end speed in a matter of steps is very impressive.




In the open field, Cooks runs away from defenders with ease. In spring ball, Cooks ran a 4.3 flat. Electronically. That. Is. Fast. Should also be noted he's a former track athlete.

Hands

Watching Cooks you're surprised to see him drop a ball. I remember him dropping an in route and I was stunned. That's because, for the most part, when he gets his hands on the ball, he catches it. He has very strong hands, which is another reason I believe he'll be so successful at the next level. Per Second Round Stats, a receivers drop rate should be no higher than 7%. Cooks has by far the lowest drop rate, at 4.1%.

This one handed catch in the bowl game shows you how well his concentration is.

Ball Skills

For a receiver who is sub 6", Cooks tracks the balls, high points it, and wins the catch point insanely well. He's very good at adjusting to under-thrown balls and putting himself in position to make a play.







Sometimes, a receiver is asked to bail his quarterback out. Cooks does this over and over. His ball skills are definitely a blue chip quality.

YAC Ability

With the importance on getting the ball out of the quarterbacks hands quicker in today's NFL, receivers must be able to create for themselves once they've caught the ball.

Cooks is incredibly explosive and does most of his work in the intermediate game, over 70% of his routes are ran under 15 yards. Once the ball is in his hands, he's special.



It's rare that the 1st player tackles Cooks.



I realize that this next play he stepped out of bounds. But this play best describes Cooks and his toughness, effort,speed, and competitive nature.





Grade

As always, the grade explanation can be explained here.

Multiple Pro Bowl Player, Top 10	8.5 – 9.0
Highly Productive Starter, 1st Round	8.0 – 8.4
Very Good Starter, Early 2nd Round	7.8 – 7.9
Reliable Starter, 2nd Round	7.5 – 7.7
Potential Starter in Year 2, 3rd Round	7.0 – 7.4
Backup/Spot Starter, 4th Round	6.5 – 6.9
Productive Backup, 5th Round	6.0 – 6.4
Very Good Backup/STs, 6th Round	5.5 – 5.9
Quality Backup/Good STs, 7th Round	5.0 – 5.4
Backup/STs/Project Player, 7th Round	4.5 – 4.9
Priority Free Agent w/ Limitations	4.0 – 4.4
Non-Draftable	< 4.0

Trait	Weight	Grade
Route Running	4	3.7
Speed	2.5	2.5
Hands	3	2.8
Ball Skills	3	2.9
YAC Ability	2	2
Effort	2	2
Blocking	2	1.3
Toughness	2	2
Awareness	2.5	2.3
Athleticism	2	2

Cooks graded out at an 8.4. That tells you how high I am on him. I tried envisioning a situation where he can't be successful in the NFL, and I couldn't. He's far from limited to just a "slot WR." He attacks the ball in the air, and with his creativeness as a route runner, it should be an easy transition for me to be a 90 catch player at the next level.

Player Comparison

I try not to force these, but Cooks is a mix between Steve Smith & Antonio Brown. He is a fierce competitor and wins 50/50 balls much like Smith at his size, yet is quick, and will make you miss in a phone booth, like Brown.