Michigan State's Connor Cook drafted 100th overall by Oakland Raiders – Detroit Free Press
Connor Cook’s long wait is finally over. He’s an NFL player.
The Michigan State quarterback’s two-day freefall ended Saturday when the Oakland Raiders took Cook with the 100th pick of the draft in the fourth round.
“NFL ready,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio tweeted after Cook was selected. “Time to go to work. I believe in you!”
Cook is the third Spartan selected in this year’s draft. Offensive tackle Jack Conklin went No. 8 overall to Tennessee in Thursday’s first round, and defensive end Shilique Calhoun went No. 75 overall to Oakland in Friday’s third round.
Cook was the 2nd pick of Day 3 with the Raiders trading up with the Cleveland Browns to grab him.
Cook’s draft ordeal resembled that of former MSU star Kirk Cousins, who was projected as a potential first- or second-round pick in 2012 before falling to Washington in the fourth round. Cousins became the starter there last season and led his team to the NFC Playoffs, getting a franchise tag and a nearly $20 million contract for next season.
“Connor comes from the same system as Kirk Cousins, so he has a solid foundation in a pro-style offense,” Dantonio said in a release. “He’s a quick study, so it won’t take him long to master the offense. Connor won’t be nervous. He will prove himself under center and earn the respect of his teammates. I’m sure the Oakland Raiders are very excited to have him.”
ESPN’s Todd McShay, one of Cook’s biggest critics in the months leading up to the draft, compared Cook’s situation to that of Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron. Despite winning back-to-back college national titles at Alabama, McCarron slipped to the fifth round in 2014 and has been Andy Dalton’s backup in Cincinnati. When Dalton got hurt late last season, McCarron took over and led the Bengals to the playoffs.
“(Cook) has the tools to be a good starter in this league. He’s got work to do,” McShay said. “He’s gotta become more consistent with his footwork to improve his accuracy. I think he’s a great backup who potentially could develop into a starter and wind up moving somewhere else one day. … Use this as motivation, put a chip on your shoulder, and a few years from now, you could be in AJ McCarron’s situation.”
Cook won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year in 2015, also earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. He finished his three-year starting career as MSU’s winningest quarterback with a 34-5 record and went 21-2 in Big Ten regular-season games. That included two Big Ten championships and victories in the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder from Hinckley, Ohio, also broke a number of school records, including passing yards (9,194), touchdown passes (71) and total offense (9,403 yards).
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Despite those numbers, Cook was one of the most polarizing prospects in the draft. He was the top prospect left on the board after the first 98 picks in the first three rounds before Oakland traded up to take him.
In Oakland, Cook will be behind starter Derek Carr – a second-round pick in 2014 – in Jack Del Rio’s offense. Carr threw for 3,987 yards and and 32 touchdowns with 13 interceptions in 2015, completing while 61.1 percent of his passes. Cook completed 56.1 percent of his throws as a senior and 57.5 percent in his MSU career.
“They’re contrasting styles, interestingly,” McShay said. “Derek Carr really didn’t push the ball down the field and wasn’t really comfortable doing that this past year. Connor Cook’s a little bit better at that. Derek Carr’s very efficient in hitting the short and intermediate throws, something that Connor Cook really struggles with.
“I like the makeup here. I think Connor will really benefit from being around a young, up-and-coming player like Derek Carr.”
Cook has worked with Del Rio’s son, Luke, at George Whitfield’s Quarterback Academy in San Diego. Luke Del Rio started will be a junior at Florida this fall after starting his college career at Oregon State.
ESPN analyst and former Raiders coach Jon Gruden said before the draft Cook could be the best quarterback in the draft and, in hindsight, hinted at a potential marriage with Oakland.
“My old boss Al Davis would have loved Connor Cook,” Gruden said of the former Raiders owner. “This kid pushes the ball down the field. He’s one of the guys in this draft that made me make funny sounds when I was watching him – clapping, crowing, going ‘Whoa! What a throw!’ ‘Ahhh!’ ”
Cook is the 11th Spartan quarterback selected in the draft. Earl Morrall was taken by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 2 pick in 1956, the only MSU quarterback drafted in the opening round.
Cousins, Brian Hoyer, Drew Stanton and Nick Foles are former MSU quarterbacks currently in the NFL.
“I’m very excited for Connor’s future in the NFL and looking forward to seeing his dream begin in Oakland,” MSU quarterbacks coach Brad Salem said in a release. “It has been a pleasure to coach him and a joy to watch his success as a quarterback. He will continue to make clutch throws in big games. Connor is the latest Spartan gunslinger to take his talents to the NFL.”
Here is a list of the MSU quarterbacks selected in the history of the NFL Draft:
Connor Cook, 2016, fourth round (pick 100), Oakland
Kirk Cousins, 2012, fourth round (pick 102), Washington
Drew Stanton, 2007, second round (43), Detroit
Jeff Smoker, 2004, sixth round (201), St. Louis
Tony Banks, 1996, second round (42), St. Louis
Jim Miller, 1994, sixth round (178), Pittsburgh
Dean Look, 1960, 20th round (231), Denver
Jim Ninowski, 1958, fourth round (49), Cleveland
Earl Morrall, 1956, first round (2), San Francisco
Tom Yewcic, 1954, 27th round (319), Pittsburgh
Al Dorow, 1952, third round (31), Washington
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