Scouting report: Jared Cook

6’5, 240 pounds | South Carolina | Tight end
Strengths: Cook’s biggest attribute is his hands. he does a nice job of routinely snatching the ball out of the air away from his body. Has the agility and flexibility to turn his body around quickly and make tough catches against balls that are thrown fast. Gets off the line quickly. For a tight end, Cook is incredibly dangerous after the catch. Rumored to have run a 4.37 40-yard dash at one point, Cook combines speed and power to get a lot of yards after the catch. Runs good routes and doesn’t round off his routes. Frame is that of a top-flight tight end. While he’ll need to get stronger, Cook does have long arms and large hands.
Weaknesses: Like many tight ends from the spread, Cook hasn’t lined up much along the line. Because of this, he hasn’t had to beat the jams of stronger opponents and is somewhat untested in that regard. The same can be said about his ability as a blocker. While he moves well from side-to-side to mirror opponents, he could do a better job using his hands to lock on. He’ll also have to give a much better effort in blocking or be relegated to a specialty role. Never had more than three touchdowns in a season.
Final word: Cook is a plus pass-catching tight end prospect. Playing in South Carolina’s spread, Cook improved his stats every year. Still, he was never dominant player in college. He certainly has the athleticism, but never seemed to put it all together in college. Had only one game of more than 100 yards receiving and scored only three touchdowns his junior and sophomore years. Probably should have came back to school to become a top prospect, instead of a likely second day pick.
Round projection: 3