2015 NFL Draft Prospect Watch: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

Dec 7, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of the 2013 Big 10 Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Continuing to take a look at the top quarterback prospects in college football eligible for the 2015 NFL Draft, today we look at Michigan State redshirt junior Connor Cook.

Cook is 6’4″ 218 pounds, and hasn’t said yet whether or not he plans on leaving Michigan State after his junior season. And he shouldn’t have to. Cook has a ton of ability, but only one year of real starting experience to this point, and heading into his junior season the expectations have been set pretty high.

Despite completing just under 59 percent of his throws last year, scouts are fired up about the development of this young man. Cook has the size scouts covet in an NFL quarterback prospect, he has plus athleticism, and he can really spin the football.

His confidence grew throughout the season in 2013, but you could also tell at times that this young QB is just that — very young.

When you watch him play, you notice some sporadic accuracy on his passes, particularly those that exceed 15 or so yards. He has a strong arm, but he doesn’t have to show us all that on every pass. I loved his ability to make plays in the face of pressure, as well as his ability to make accurate throws on the run.

Michigan State runs a pro-style offense, so that’s also obviously going to be a huge advantage for Cook whenever he decides to come out. There are a school of people who believe that he could be a candidate to be picked in the first or early second round depending on how he progresses this year.

I’m wondering if Cook’s possible ascension this year could be similar to that of Blake Bortles, who virtually came out of nowhere in 2013 to be the first quarterback selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. There was also a large school of people who believed there was no way Bortles would leave school a year before his eligibility was up. Well…

I think Cook will have to show tremendous progression in 2014 in order to be considered a top 50 NFL prospect for the 2015 NFL Draft, but that’s not out of the question. He has all of the physical tools and the arm talent to make that happen, it’s just a matter of time.

Here is a video cutup of Cook from his performance against Stanford in last year’s Rose Bowl courtesy of the great folks at DraftBreakdown.com.