College Football is the clear and only pipeline to the NFL. It is filled with thousands of talented young men that dream of playing at the next level. Only 1.5% of those players become pro football players. Every draft has positions that are deeper than others, some believe this is a quarterback class and others believes it is a running back class. Let’s not forget about those “DIVAS” the pretty boy receivers. They are loaded with depth and talent, I want to shine the light on some of these pass catchers. Here is my scouting report!!
Simmie Cobbs Jr, Wide receiver, Indiana
Height-Weight: 6’4 220 lbs.
Film reviewed: Ohio State (2017), Maryland (2017) & Wisconsin (2017)
The Good: A big physical play maker, Cobbs has ideal size for an X receiver at the next level. He possesses a big catch radius which give quarterbacks more room for error. He has powerful hands and secures the ball away from defenders. He is a receiver you can be comfortable throwing the 50/50 balls to, he will more than likely come down with them. Cobbs runs a solid route tree with knowledge of spacing. He does a great job using his body for leverage on hook, slants, and short breaking routes. He resembles a power forward boxing out smaller defenders. He creates decent separation vs man coverage and displays the ability to stack defenders on deep routes. He does a good job finding the soft spot in zone and working back to the quarterback.
The Bad: Cobbs is not the fastest player by any mean, which puts more emphasis on his route running. He will need to continue developing route techniques to overcome his lack of explosiveness. With his physical size, he is a very inconsistent blocker in the run/screen game. Effort in that area seems to be an issue, when he puts in effort he is effective. I would like to see a little more run after the catch, even though he is a possession receiver.
Pro Comparison: Josh Doctson/Marques Colston is the comparison that fits! The same height and weight as colston with similar ball skills combined. None of these pass catchers are the best athletes or the fastest on the field, but they can make plays using their big frames. These guys are definitely used to contested catches due to consistent lack of separation.
Team Fits: Kansas City Chiefs, San Fransico 49ers, Baltimore Ravens
NCAA. (2017). Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-professional-athletics