2014 NFL Draft: Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks Makes First Round Case

Nov 23, 2013; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Brandin Cooks (7) scores a touchdown against the Washington Huskies in the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

When you talk about this year’s breakout players in college football, you can’t go long without talking about Brandin Cooks, the junior wide receiver out of Oregon State. The Beavers’ star won the Biletnikof Award as the nation’s best player at the position after he caught 128 passes for 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Cooks has earned a great reputation for his toughness and elusiveness, and some have compared him to Percy Harvin of the Seattle Seahawks.

This year’s draft has the potential to be a very good draft for wide receivers, and Cooks would certainly add to a deep class. He is smaller at 5’10” and just under 190 pounds, but there’s no denying the impact he has made on the field and how far he has come this season.

Cooks has risen into the top 32 of some Big Boards out there, and rightfully so. Here’s my report on Cooks from prior to this season:

Players like Wes Welker, Percy Harvin, T.Y. Hilton, and Tavon Austin have paved the way for smaller, less bulky receivers like Brandin Cooks, a junior who is one of the most explosive playmakers in the country. Last year, Markus Wheaton stole the spotlight and led the Oregon State receiving attack, but Cooks was the Robin to Wheaton’s Batman in only the second WR duo in school history to have 1,000 yards apiece in one season. Cooks is lightning quick who can contribute on special teams if the need should arise as a kick/punt returner, but he showed off his skills last year as a receiver, catching 67 passes for 1,151 yards and five touchdowns, averaging over 17 yards per catch in his sophomore campaign. Cooks is a big play threat who is taking over as the #1 receiver for the Beavers, and he could be a candidate to leave early for the NFL.