Originally posted by gold49digger:
Jeez some of you guys are on his dick. He was one of my favorites but I'm not too sure now... someone convince me to hop back on the bandwagon.
Winning the 40 was the combine triumph everyone knows about, but Cooks piled up smaller victories throughout his time in Indianapolis. "I've talked to different teams that interviewed him, and they were just blown away by how football smart he was," Jeremiah says. At Oregon State's pro day, Brennan heard the same reviews. Five different teams said he was the best interview they'd had.
Position coaches are hard to trust when it comes to their own players. The time spent together during the season is almost endless, and with Cooks and Brennan, it was even more time than most. Cooks was a fixture in the Oregon State complex, and it would often lead to sit-downs in Brennan's office that would veer far from football. Brennan struggles to settle on one memory he'll cling to after Cooks is gone. "For me, it'll be that he's the gold standard of receivers going forward," Brennan says. "He was the most complete football player that I've ever been around. For there to ever be another one to have all the things that he had … I couldn't even imagine."
http://grantland.com/features/brandin-cooks-nfl-draft-oregon-state-wide-receiver/
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/34722
Durability-1-Durability is not a concern at this point. Has appeared in all 27 career games while starting all 25 games the past two seasons.
Intangibles-1-High motivated with strong work ethic. Passionate about the game. 2013 team captain. Mature individual that came from a tough upbringing. Father Worth Sr., passed away when Brandin was six years old leaving his mother Andrea to raise Brandin and his two older brothers Worth Jr. and Andre by herself. The family struggled to make ends meet as Andrea was forced to work two jobs. Older brother Andre has been in and out of jail and has never seen Brandin play a college game.
Separation Skills-1-Polished overall route runner that flashes savvy. Does a nice job of working defenders with tempo and head and shoulder fakes to set up breaks. Above-average burst out of cuts to create separation. Reads coverage rotation well on the run and has a natural feel for soft spots working against zone coverage.
Ball Skills-2-Average to below-average catch radius. However, possesses natural and strong hands. Above-average body control adjusting to throws outside of frame. Although he lacks prototypical height he is physical, aggressive and times leaps well to win in contested situations for a smaller receiver.
Big play ability-2-Possesses above-average top-end speed to stretch the field vertically. Flashes the ability to win one-on-one downfield battles despite lack of height. Instinctive runner after the catch. Shows good open field vision along with the speed and elusiveness to turn and short throw into a big gain.
Competitiveness-1-Highly instinctive and competitive. Tough and shows excellent focus in traffic. Plays bigger than measurables indicate. Gives adequate effort as run blocker. However, can improve angles to defenders and be more consistent sustaining blocks.
I think if people watch this guy play, note his outstanding production, outstanding character, leadership ability, overall toughness and they still don't want him, they are nuts. Brandin Cooks may fail in the NFL, but it sure won't be for lack of talent or lack of effort. As a prospect I think he's definitely a better receiver than Tavon Austin was last year. Austin might be faster and more athletic, but not as talented of a route runner or receiver.
[ Edited by Phoenix49ers on May 7, 2014 at 12:52 PM ]