2016 NFL mock draft: Pre-Combine

2nd Round

Connor Cook – QB – Michigan St

Strengths: Pro-style QB who has started in a complex system for three years, Cook is one of the few guys in the past several years that has actually proven he can make pre/post snap reads and audible calls.  Quality arm that can make every throw.

He’s a confident passer in the pocket and demonstrates touch, angles, and anticipation with his throws.  Very tough in the pocket and will manipulate to buy himself more time.  34-4 as a starter with some excellent big games on his resume.  Quality athlete who can surprise unprepared defenders with his elusiveness.

Weaknesses: Mechanics tend to get sloppy when he is throwing on the move, leading to him relying too much on arm strength.  Will get frustrated if the OL is getting beaten often.  A late season shoulder injury this past year stands as a major question as it obviously affected him in the NCAA playoffs and would later keep him out of the Senior Bowl.  A lot of questions have come up regarding why he was not a captain for his senior season.

The Fit: While Cook has fallen out of favor with a lot of the professional analysts, I see him as having the highest floor of any QB in the class.  His career at Michigan State ended disastrously, but that should not override the three years of quality play that he showed.

Cook is pro-ready but needs some refinement.  He could be a great pickup for any team that has a set starter for 2016 for him to back up before eventually taking over the reigns.  When compared to other past QBs from Mich St (Kirk Cousins, Bryan Hoyer, and Drew Stanton), Cook comes out well ahead of them as a draft prospect, which is encouraging given that they have all managed to stay employed in the NFL.  This is by no means calling for the Chiefs to get rid of Alex Smith, but rather is a realistic investment in the future after Smith’s time is done.