2016 Scouting Report: Connor Cook QB Michigan State
Anytime you bring your team into the top rankings of college football and more recently into the playoff conversation you’re bound to get looks towards the next level.
That’s the case with Connor Cook, who at this time is being seen as one of the top quarterbacks for next year’s draft and could potentially become the first of his position off the board.
Lets get “Cook”ing
Connor Cook comes in at NFL size with a 6’4 220 pound frame. He’s the definition of a pocket passer and has led the Spartans to the top of the rankings year in and year out. He’s from Hinckley, Ohio where he graduated from Walsh Jesuit as the number nine pocket passing quarterback in the country (according to Max Preps). After taking over the reigns for Kirk Cousins in 2013, Cook has become the “winningest active quarterback” in the FBS division of football as well as the number one quarterback at Michigan State for wins. He is undefeated against in state rival Michigan and has a 1-1 record against division rival Ohio State.
Cook has surprisingly only played in one game where his interceptions exceeded his touchdowns and that was the 2015 game against Maryland in which he was injured and threw his lone interception of the game before exiting. While not a runner he has produced three rushing touchdowns over his three year starting career and has a couple 20 yard runs. Pocket passer will be his definition going into the NFL but he’s more than capable of tucking the ball and grabbing a first down if needed.
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What to like
No matter what you do on the field, your legacy is dependent on one thing and that’s wins. Connor Cook has only been a part of 4fourgames in which he did not win for a record of 32-4 in his collegiate career. Those losses came against Notre Dame in 2013, Marcus Mariota and the future national champs Ohio State in 2014 and a last second bomb against Nebraska this year. Players that know how to win in college usually end up becoming the guys who stick around for the long-term in the NFL. Like I said, stats are nice and everybody loves to evaluate them but wins are what defines you. Another great thing about Cook is his touchdown to interception ratio. In all three of his seasons as a starting QB for MSU Cook has never thrown less than 22 touchdowns and/or more than eight interceptions. His ability to take care of the football is among the best in the NCAA and without question will have scouts excited about his pro potential.
Areas of concern
Of course I’m going to tell you that wins are all that matters and then bring up some statistical issue. However it should be noted that Cook does have a very low completion percentage for your typical college quarterback. At a career 58% completion percentage Cook isn’t the most accurate player and at times struggles to get in a rhythm. To add to that he’s not exactly a polarizing athlete by any means. Nothing about Cook’s game screams “pick me!”, he gets the job done but you’re never really jumping out of your seat when Cook throws the football.
He’s an average athlete with an average arm and he makes good throws but nothing that gets twitter jammed up. Aside from all the above mentioned, the most concerning thing on Cook’s resume is that he wasn’t voted as captain of the football team. You’d think that a guy with the accolades of Cook would be a sure-fire bet for being seen as the leader of his team but they didn’t vote for him. Those are questions that will be addressed once the off-season rolls around.
Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) and guard Brandon Clemons (64) and tight end Jamal Lyles (11) perform for student section prior to a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Future Outlook
When I think of Connor Cook he reminds of Alex Smith. While not as mobile and needing improvement for his accuracy I see a lot of similar throws made between the two. Cook has a chance to be a better passer than Smith and a guy who we hope won’t ignore his receivers for an entire season in the end zone. As stated before there’s nothing flashy about Connor Cook and I doubt any off-season routine is going to change the thought process on him, however I do think out of all the quarterbacks in the draft Cook has the best chance of being a steady NFL starter.
While his ceiling doesn’t seem to be that high, his floor isn’t too low either. Teams like the Browns, Texans, 49ers, Eagles and even the Cowboys could be in play for a first round quarterback. In a year where the position isn’t as strong as it has been in past years Cook has a good chance of being a first rounder if not the first quarterback off the board.