NFL Draft 2014: Brandin Cooks declares
The Oregon State Beavers had one of the best wide receivers in the country last season in deep threat Markus Wheaton, but 5’10”, 186 pound receiver Brandin Cooks is even better. The Biletnikoff winner this season, Cooks caught 128 passes for 1,730 yards, and he is going to be in the discussion as a late first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Cooks does an incredible job of getting open, and I don’t think there’s a better receiver in this class at finding space, running routes, and cutting his way around the field to get open.
According to ESPN’s Joe Schad, Cooks will indeed declare for the draft, and it’s a decision that definitely won’t take anyone by surprise. We’ve always expected Cooks to make the jump, and the Oregon State wideout simply has nothing more to prove. He will get unfairly docked for size concerns, but there is little doubt that he is one of the best skill position players set to declare. This is a guy who can eat up defenses in the slot and on the outside, and he more than makes up for his lack of height. Cooks is simply a playmaker, and his ability to generate yards after the catch will make him an invaluable weapon in the pros.
It will be interesting to see how NFL teams rate Cooks in the pre-draft process, and he certainly impressed scouts by catching eight passes, including a touchdown, in the Holiday Bowl to cap off his monster 2013 campaign. There are some who believe that Cooks is even better than USC Trojans star receiver Marqise Lee, but Cooks is a consensus second-round pick for now.