Draft season never ends. Although the lights have turned off at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago and the lectern has been put away, teams are already setting their boards. With that in mind, Mark Schofield has an early look at the top QBs in the 2016 NFL draft, starting with Connor Cook.
Connor Cook – Michigan State
Cook chose to remain on campus for his senior season and forgo the 2015 NFL draft, despite some projections that he was the third-best quarterback in the class behind Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, and a possible first-round selection. The QB is a three-year starter for the Spartans and the only quarterback in school history to win two bowl games. He possesses ideal size for the position, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds, while also flashing a high-quality arm to go with decent accuracy and skills from the pocket:
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On this play, from the 2014 Rose Bowl, Cook checks off many of the traits that NFL scouts need to see in an evaluation of a quarterback. Staring down the blitz, Cook hangs tough in the pocket before delivering a very accurate throw on a post route. The throw is accurate into a tight window and released well before the receiver’s break. Plays like this are the reason many scouts and draftniks believe he will be the first quarterback selected in the 2016 draft.
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