2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Bryan Cook





  • Bryan Cook, 6-1/206

  • Safety

  • Cincinnati


  • Bryan Cook Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Instinctive
  • Good size
  • Has enough height to defend big receivers, tight ends
  • Weapon to cover pass-receiving tight ends
  • Quick
  • Covers ground on the back end
  • Can play some deep center field
  • Middle-of-the-field zone-coverage defender
  • Reads a quarterback’s eyes
  • Quick feet
  • Not tight; loose hips to turn and run
  • Has some ball skills
  • Showed interception potential
  • Plays the ball well to avoid penalties and smack passes away
  • Aggressive defender
  • Quickly fires to the flat or coming downhill
  • Can be a strong safety, eighth man in the box
  • Tough run defender
  • Size to tackle NFL running backs
  • Special teams-coverage potential




  • Weaknesses:
  • Eye discipline
  • Needs to improve defending double moves
  • Will bite on some fakes
  • More natural as a strong safety


  • Summary: It took some time for Cook to put it all together at Cincinnati, but it finally happened in 2021. In 2017 and 2018, Cook played at Howard University, recording five interceptions and 17 passes broken up during that span. Over 2020 and 2019 for Cincinnati, Cook recorded 28 tackles and two pass breakups. He was then an excellent contributor for the Bearcats in 2021, totaling 96 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and nine passes defended.

    Cook has the potential to be an pass-coverage asset in the NFL. He has the speed, size, and ball skills to play some free safety while also being a natural fit for strong safety. As the deep center fielder, Cook can break on the ball well and is dangerous to pick it off or slap it away. He covers a lot of ground in the deep part of the field and has the size to battle big wideouts and tight ends. As a pro, Cook needs to improve his eye discipline and not bite on double moves. He can be prone to falling for some fakes through his natural aggression.

    In 2021, Cook showed some man-coverage ability against pass-receiving tight ends who cause mismatch problems for most teams – see the Cincinnati/Notre Dame game. Cook does a nice job of running the route with tight ends to prevent separation and possesses the size and speed to maintain close coverage. After some development, Cook could man up on them in the NFL and should be an asset at neutralizing those kind of weapons.



    Cook can be a tough defender against the run, helped by having the size to tackle, and he will make some clutch open-field stops. Cook is very strong and clearly spends a lot of time in the weight room. He is physical and packs a punch as a tackler. In run defense and pass coverage, Cook will dish out some rattling hits with force. Given Cook’s size and instincts, he could be a strong safety type who plays as the eighth man in the box to defend ground games.

    For the NFL, Cook could present the flexibility to play strong or free safety. He has the versatility to be an interchangeable safety who flips responsibilities pre-snap. Teams love that kind of safety, but that being said, Cook is more natural as a strong safety.

    In the 2022 NFL Draft, Cook is likely to be a second-day pick. He probably won’t slip out of the third round.



    Player Comparison: Marcus Maye. Cook and Maye are very similar. Both are good free safeties who cover a lot of ground in the back end and are physical in run defense. They are instinctive defenders with versatility. After being drafted by the Jets, Maye has gone on to become one of the better safeties in the NFL. Maye (6-0, 210) and Cook are nearly identical in size and in their skill sets.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2022 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2022 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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