NFL 2009 Draft Profile: Jared Cook (TE) South Carolina

Though Jared Cook is a Tight End, he runs like a Wide Receiver, a fact he went out and proved at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine when he ran an electrifying 4.42 (unofficially) for the 40. The time, the third best ever recorded by a Tight End at the Combine, should make every NFL team take notice. That the 6-5, 240 NFL Draft Prospect also added a 41 inch vertical leap, a 10'3 long jump and 23 reps on the bench during his tryout, may also mean that Cook could sneak into the top two rounds of this year's NFL Draft.

The fantastic show of speed should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the former Receiver's career at South Carolina, where Cook is said to have been timed as fast as 4.37 for the 40 in 2007; Cook himself had been quoted as saying "Hopefully I can get in the 4.4's" prior the start of the combined. Nor did Cook's talent and potential go unnoticed to Gamecock's Coach Steve Spurrier, who compared him to Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson, the second pick overall in the 2007 Draft. While that comparison might be a bit of a stretch, it nevertheless underscores the fact that Cook is a rare talent.

And while he did not put up record shattering numbers at the South Carolina, Cook who is leaving school after his Junior year, is coming off a decent 2008 season in which he caught 37 passes for 573 yards and 3 touchdowns. His season was good enough to earn him First Team All-SEC honors in 2008. His best receiving game of the year came against Vanderbilt (during week two), when he caught 8 passes for 111 yards, while twice during the year Cook also had receptions for over 60 yards.

Still, regardless of the numbers he put up over his college career, it's Cook's skill set that sets him apart from other prospect at this year's NFL Draft. At 6-5, with out of this world leaping ability, Cook can play the position bigger than even his size would suggest; while his speed could easily present match-up problems for NFL defenses, since few Cornerbacks will have the size to keep him off the football, and not many Linebackers will have the speed to cover him. Look for Cook to go in the top two rounds of the 2009 NFL Entry Draft.

Sources:

www.nfldraftscout.comwww.thestate.comwww.sports.yahoo.com