Cowboys: 5 QB Possibilities In NFL Draft
Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) has his throw hurried by Purdue Boilermakers cornerback Da
Connor Cook – Michigan State University (Sr. 6’4” 218)
No other quarterback on this list has his team in better position to compete for a national championship that Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook.
Sporting perhaps the perfect build for the NFL, Cook has ideal height to see the field and enough weight to handle the pounding that’s waiting for him at the next level. Cook is a good quarterback to study given that he’s playing out his final season in the college ranks and also because he’s got his Spartans on the outer edge of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Cook’s story is yet complete as he still has a big game left coming December 5 against undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
If we compared Cook to previous Cowboys quarterbacks, he’d probably be linked with Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe. He’s a big, strong-armed pocket passer with lots of experience in a pro-style system and will need the support of a strong running game because he’s not going anywhere with the football in his hands.
His 24 touchdown passes to just four interceptions will remind some of Aikman’s typical stat lines back in the mid-1990s as the Hall of Fame quarterback generally relied on the legs and power of NFL All-Time Leading Rusher Emmitt Smith to move the chains and cross the goal line.
Connor will never be confused with Romo or Roger Staubach, two passers that used mobility and buying time in the pocket as a major part of their game during their respective primes.
Connor might be referred to as a ‘bus driver’ when describing his style play under center, but in the right system – or bus – that can absolutely be a winning formula.
A victory over Ohio State, then No.3 in the CFP rankings, has placed Cook under the microscope. With more football to played, that lens isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The predraft process this winter will go a long ways in determing exactly where Cook falls in the coming NFL draft, but for right now he certainly looks like a future first-round selection that’s been groomed and also successful at a major college football program.
Draft Position: Round 1
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