NFL Draft 2016: Connor Cook Scouting Report

By Joey Alibro

Twitter: @joeyalibro

Measurables

College: Michigan State           Number: 18                       Position: QB

Height: 6’4”                            Weight: 220                       Year: Redshirt Senior

40 Low: 4.80                          40 Time: 4.89                     40 High: 5.04

Background

Connor Cook, born January 29, 1993, was raised in Hinckley, Ohio, a town about halfway between Cleveland and Akron. Football is in his blood as his father played at Indiana. Cook attended Walsh Jesuit High School where he wasn’t heavily recruited as a senior. He didn’t receive so much as a letter from Ohio State, but the two-star recruit of the 2011 class did receive offers from many Mid-American Conference schools as well as Michigan State. Cook was redshirted his freshman year and served as backup to Andrew Maxwell in 2012. He was named starter after the first game of 2013, and has gone 32-4 since. Cook led Sparty to a Rose Bowl victory in 2014 over Stanford, and a Cotton Bowl win over the Baylor Bears in January of this year.

Game-by-Game Summaries

Note: I only watched film from 2014 to the present.

Jacksonville St. (2014) – 12/13 285 yds. 3 TD (sat out second half)

Game Summary: Cook put on an impressive half to start his 2014 campaign against a weak Jacksonville St. defense. He showed his ability to make plays outside of the pocket as well as his shiftiness in the pocket. His willingness to get hit in order to make the pass is a good sign, but his unwillingness to accept defeat on a play could lead to more turnovers.

Purdue (2014) –19/37 328 yds. 3 TD 1 INT

Game Summary: Cook showcased his abilities outside of the pocket whether it was throws on the run, designed QB sneaks, or leaving the pocket and taking off with it. He did struggle making easy throws that need to be completed in the pros such as a few screen passes and dump-offs to his back, and his accuracy on the run is shaky. The same problem of Cook telegraphing passes that I saw in earlier games reappeared and even resulted in a horrendous interception as he rolled to his right.

Michigan (2014) – 12/22 227 yds. 1 TD

Game Summary: Against in-state rival Michigan, Cook at times looked cool, calm, and collected in a collapsing pocket, but at other times the inside pressure got to him as he looked panicky. That’s not saying Cook isn’t willing to stand in there and take the hit to make a play. He made good decisions to throw the ball away instead of forcing it which could’ve led to a turnover. Cook’s toughness and even a little bit of attitude was on display as he took off with the ball on a read option, lowered his shoulder, bulldozed a Michigan defender, and got up with something to say about it.

image1

Ohio State (2014) – 25/45 358 yds. 2 TD

Game Summary: It seemed as if Cook was under pressure on every play, and he looked panicked and hurried in the first half, but he settled down a bit in the second. He did a better job looking off defenders instead of staring his receivers down as he’s done earlier in the year. Cook worked more under center than he usually does which he’ll have to do more often when he gets to the NFL. He didn’t throw any interceptions, but Ohio State dropped two easy ones.

Western Michigan (2015) – 15/31 256 yds. 2 TD

Game Summary: Although Michigan St. came out on top to start the year, Cook was a bit off target all game. He had a decent amount of time in the pocket, but he was rusty in his 2015 season opener. With that said, Cook did a much better job using his eyes to get receivers open which resulted in a smooth, in stride touchdown to Arnett to close the game out.

Oregon (2015) – 20/32 192 yds. 2 TD 1 INT

Game Summary: Against seventh ranked Oregon, Cook did just enough to pull out the win. He had two touchdown throws off of nice play actions under center, which is one of his strengths. Cook threw a bad interception when he was on the wrong page with a receiver he’s been throwing to for three years. He also made an ugly throw to his halfback that landed at his feet when he didn’t step into the throw, but that’s the first time I’ve seen that from him so that shouldn’t be an issue moving forward.

Career Statistics

SEASON CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT RAW QBR ADJ QBR
2015 175 311 2482 56.3 7.98 74 21 4 12 143.0 77.6 76.2
2014 212 365 3214 58.1 8.81 71 24 8 11 149.4 76.0 82.3
2013 223 380 2755 58.7 7.25 87 22 6 16 135.5 64.1 71.8
2012 9 17 94 52.9 5.53 15 1 1 1 107.0 18.4 33.6

Strengths

At 6’4” 220, Cook has the size to succeed at the NFL level. He has an above-average arm and can pick a defense apart given a little bit of time. Cook has good mobility, and he’s pretty shifty in the pocket as well. His accuracy in the pocket is as good as anybody’s in college football. He’s almost flawless in the short to immediate range, but he’s also a pretty accurate deep passer. Playing under Michigan State’s pro-style offense, Cook won’t have much of a learning curve when he arrives in the NFL. Cook is a tough, gutsy player that isn’t ever afraid to take a hit. The redshirt senior’s athleticism is underrated, but he can pick up first downs and is pretty tough to bring down.

Weaknesses

Like any young quarterback, Cook doesn’t have the best decision making. His gunslinger mentality hasn’t resulted in many interceptions, but in the NFL that will catch up with him. He also never wants to give up on a play which is good and bad, but he needs to learn how to throw the ball away more often if nothing is there. Eventually, he’ll learn the mantra of “live to fight another down.” Cook doesn’t handle inside pressure well, which leads to him making throws on the run outside of the pocket where he is not nearly as accurate.

Pro Comparison

Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton

Cook compares favorably to current Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton. Like Dalton, if given time, Cook can take a defense apart. Both quarterbacks have good to great accuracy, but Cook has a stronger arm than Dalton.

Draft Projection

Right now, Cook is a sure fire first round pick and is one of if not the top quarterback in this class. A possible destination and good fit for Cook could be the Dallas Cowboys as a successor to Romo in the next few years. He could develop for a year or two behind a great quarterback, and then could take the reins behind a phenomenal offensive line.

Look for my final evaluation and draft grade on Connor Cook in April.

tagged with