Scouting Report: Fake Blue Chip Prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) looks to pass during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Connor Cook, QB Michigan State 
What he does well:  He’s a veteran QB who played for a coach who won’t tolerate failure from his offense. And he did very well. He got Michigan State to a playoff game which is no easy feat for a power 5 conference.

He also has a live arm and ideal size for an NFL QB. He also has generally good mechanics in the pocket for a college passer. Probably because he played in a pro style offense.

What he struggles with: If you can pressure him off of a spot, his mechanics break down and he panics to some extent. He’ll try to just dump the ball off as fast as possible instead of improvising.

He also has the dreaded flaw of looking at the pressure when blitzed instead of looking down the field. This also leads to Cook’s propensity to make some high risk throws. Sometimes he gets away with it, sometimes he doesn’t.

It’s almost seems like there’s two Connor Cooks: one that can move an offense well consistently and another who breaks down under pressure.
Red Flags: None that are apparent.
Draft range: #7-20 overall.
Pro comparison: Chad Pennington, multiple teams. They both were good leaders in college who took their teams relatively far. They both were better leaders than passers.

Neither one had a strong arm relative to what the standard is in the NFL. Cook will have to go to an offense who doesn’t ask him to be a gunslinger and thats what got Pennington his limited success in the pros.

Why he is a fake blue chip prospect: While Lynch and Goff(and every QB in this draft) has flaws and question marks, Cook’s question mark is more limited upside. You might get a guy who is capable of starting in the NFL.

But you’re probably not getting a starter who can take over a game. If a team can coach out his issues dealing with pressure, you might get a starter that you can build around.

The odds are that you’re getting Chad Pennington. And that’s not worth using a top 20 pick on.

Reggie Ragland, LB Alabama 
What he does well: He’s a very smart player who having on the field is akin to having another coach on the field. If he’s asked to play an inside running game, he can be a terror at linebacker.

He’s a very sure tackler who can take down most players if he can get one arm on them. He also has amazing short area quickness. He can dance between blockers like a ballerina.

What he struggles with: He struggles badly when he has run side to side. He’s not a classic clean up linebacker nor could he play the Joker spot(a linebacker who drops deeper and covers more).

He’s going to struggle in coverage and in space.

Red Flags: None that are apparent.

Draft range: #14-30.
Pro comparison: A high talent Jasper Brinkley, Multiple teams. This author just doesn’t see it with Ragland. College offenses figured out pretty quickly this year to make Ragland run from sideline to sideline.

Brinkley is another big, powerful ex-SEC linebacker who found a niche as a special teamer and run stopper but opposing offenses know to make him run side to side on the field.
Why he is a fake blue chip prospect: What are you really getting with Ragland? He’s a inside linebacker who can play one role well: stop the inside run. He’s also going to be a major liability against the pass and wide runs.

So that makes Ragland a prospect that you can’t build around, it makes him a complimentary piece that has to adjust to cover for his flaws or he’ll be out of the league relatively quickly.

He’s a prospect that you take on the second day of the draft, but he’s not a first round pick.