Randall Cobb Following In the Footsteps of Dexter McCluster
L ast year, the diminutive Dexter McCluster wowed NFL scouts with his quickness and ability to perform at an above average level at multiple positions. He excelled at both running back, wildcat quarterback, wide receiver, and return man. Lately, the NFL has been big on versatility. Nowadays, players are expected to be able to contribute in multiple ways. Kentucky WR, Randall Cobb is the latest “Jack of All Trades” to enter the NFL Draft. His skill-set, along with his size and speed are unparalleled.
While at Kentucky, Cobb showed the ability to make plays from multiple positions. He was literally the Swiss Army Knife of the NCAA. It was not uncommon to see Cobb line up at five different positions throughout a game. Like with McCluster, scouts and coaches will become enamored with Cobb. He is the type of player that coaches love. He can instantly make an for an NFL team. I think where he’ll make his biggest impact is at receiver. He has good size, and possesses exceptional quickness and refined route running. He knows the subtleties of the positions and that will help him transition quickly.
Even though there’s a size difference with McCluster and Cobb, and their primary positions were different in college, both managed to put up awfully similar numbers. Let’s take a look and compare their final season stats:
…
SEC – Mississippi University, RB/WR – Dexter McCluster:
| SStats Overview | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||
| YEAR | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | FUM | LST |
| 2009 | 181 | 1169 | 6.5 | 86 | 8 | 44 | 520 | 11.8 | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
SEC – Kentucky University, WR/RB – Randall Cobb:
| Stats Overview | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||
| YEAR | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | FUM | LST |
| 2010 | 84 | 1017 | 12.1 | 48 | 7 | 55 | 424 | 7.7 | 73 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
…
Last year, NFL Draft analyst could not pin point where Dexter McCluster would go in the draft. Some had him as late as the fourth round, and others had him in the early second. He ended up being selected 36th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though he suffered a severe high ankle sprain that caused him to miss half of the season, he made his impact felt. His punt return for a touchdown during opening week Monday Night Football, against the San Diego Chargers, ended up being the game winning score, and ultimately the deciding game for the division championship. He also made a brilliant play against the San Francisco 49ers in a lopsided win. The play resulted in a highlight reel worthy goal line leap. I am a fan of Randall Cobb, like I was (and still am) a fan of Dexter McCluster. I expect some of the same things, and I have no doubts he’ll come off the board in the second round.