With The First Pick
Fansided

Connor Cook isn’t the guy to turn a franchise around

By Carl Cockerham

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) in action against Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterbacks will always be overdrafted in the NFL because it’s the most important position in team sports. A great quarterback doesn’t guarantee you a Super Bowl win as we’ve seen with Dan Marino. But a bad quarterback like Marc Wilson can definitely ruin it for what would be a Super Bowl team.

However, quarterbacks are often drafted in the top 10 to change the fortunes of a franchise and can’t. That’s because the quarterback never had that type of skill-set and-or mental fortitude but was drafted out of desperation for the position. A lot of quarterbacks that “fall” to late in the first round do very well in a situation they can flourish in.

Talents and skill-sets are great but it takes a certain type a of player to turn a franchise around. And Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook finished showing that he’s not the kind of player. So drafting him in the top-10 of the first round would be a mistake by the franchise that does.

Cook is simply one of those quarterbacks that can get it done on a team that has their stuff together around him. But when things break down around him, he isn’t that guy that can somehow will things happen anyway. He’s not the guy that can go in, put a franchise on his back and lift the level of play of everyone around him.

His 19-39 for 204 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 38-0 loss to Alabama showed us that. You can say, “That’s Alabama!” but that’s not the only bad tape he’s put out there this season. He also has some pretty bad tape against schools like Maryland and Western Michigan.

Cook would be better off going to a team with everything around him in place and a great defense. They’ll say he shouldn’t have lasted that long but the truth is the situation he went into was good for him. He’s a game-manager that might be able to grow into a franchise quarterback but not if he’s drafted too early.

We’ll see if he gets overdrafted.

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