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Connor Cook, Kevin Hogan two to watch in solid 2015 QB class
By Bucky Brooks
NFL Media analyst
Published: Jan. 1, 2014 at 10:26 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 1, 2014 at 10:40 p.m.The 100th Rose Bowl was considered the marquee matchup of the bowl season by several scouts around the NFL, with a number of intriguing prospects taking the field in Pasadena. Although there weren’t many household names on the big stage, I decided to make a trip to see how a handful of underrated playmakers would perform in a big game. Here are my thoughts:
Hogan, Cook among strong 2015 QB classThe quality of quarterback play in the college football landscape bodes well for NFL teams looking for franchise quarterbacks down the road. I outlined this fact about the next generation of quarterbacks a few weeks ago; I remained convinced that the game is in good hands after watching Kevin Hogan and Connor Cook battle it out in the 100th Rose Bowl.
Entering the game, observers questioned whether Cook could duplicate his spectacular performance in the Big Ten championship game a few weeks ago. He was on fire against the Buckeyes in that contest, but didn’t face a defense as disciplined as the Cardinal’s. Scouts wanted to see if he had the poise and patience to rely on a “connect the dots” approach to engineer an upset win. Additionally, evaluators wanted to see if Cook could make big-time throws to all areas of the field with the game on the line.
Looking at Cook attack the Cardinal defense, I was impressed with his poise, confidence and resiliency. He didn’t appear overwhelmed by the magnitude of the game, settling in quickly after two non-productive series in the first quarter. Cook found his rhythm by connecting on a handful of throws from the Spartans’ movement-based passing game. He displayed pinpoint accuracy and ball placement throwing sprint-out passes to his right and left. More important, he showed surprising athleticism completing passes on the run.
As a pocket passer, Cook showed outstanding anticipation and awareness throwing to receivers open on in-breaking routes between the hashes. Those throws were pro-caliber, particularly when considering the pressure Cook faced on several of his pass attempts.
Cook’s performance wasn’t flawless. He got away with a few poor throws that should’ve been interceptions, and his pick-six at the end of the first half was the result of a horrible decision from the pocket. To his credit, Cook bounced back and led the Spartans to touchdown following an impressive two-minute drill. The overall resiliency and mental toughness exhibited after the mistake is an encouraging sign for a young, developing quarterback.
Hogan didn’t put up impressive numbers against the Spartans’ stifling defense, but he showed flashes of greatness at the position. He made a handful of pinpoint tosses on vertical routes that showcased his above-average arm strength and range. Additionally, Hogan made a few throws over the middle of the field that highlighted his sound footwork and fundamentals in the pocket. He correctly anticipated the open window down the field and led his receiver to the spot with the throw. While he didn’t get many opportunities to show off his pocket-passing skills, the glimpses are enough to feel good about his developmental potential down the road. With Hogan also flashing impressive athleticism and running skills executing the read-option on third down, scouts will rave about his versatility in meetings with general managers and head coaches over the summer.
Agamemnonhttps://www.football.com/en-us/2015-nfl-draft-first-look-at-qbs/3-kevin-hogan-stanford/
David Seigerman
Author2015 NFL Draft: First Look At QBs
Created on Jun. 13, 2014 5:16 AM EDT3. Kevin Hogan, Stanford
Stanford lost its top two running backs and several starters along the offensive line. That could be bad news for a team looking for its third straight trip to the Rose Bowl.
Or it could be a good thing. Certainly for Kevin Hogan’s development.
Hogan was not asked to do too much in most games in 2013. In half of his 14 games, he attempted fewer than 20 passes. In eight games, he threw for fewer than 200 yards. Those are not numbers usually associated with big-time quarterback prospects.
But the Cardinal offense may be looking to lean on Hogan a bit more this year, and he stands to make the biggest leap forward of any QB in the country.
Hogan is big (6-4, 228) with terrific accuracy and touch on short and intermediate passes. He’ll need to show a bit more consistency on the deep ball, but he’s as confident as he is competent and looks the part of an NFL quarterback.
The comparisons to Andrew Luck are inevitable and they are unfair. Hogan is not going to be the first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. He is not ready to step right into an NFL job on Day One. But he is tough and talented and technically sound. And this year he will have more opportunity to show what he can do as a passer.
————————————————————————————-Mel Kiper of ESPN released his list of the top five senior quarterbacks and top five (actually six) underclass quarterbacks for the 2015 NFL draft.
AgamemnonQuarterbacks always dominate the draft conversation. The same will be true of the 2016 NFL draft. There are plenty of intriguing options out there who had notable games in week 3. Some good and some bad. Others a bit confusing but all very important. How do their stocks look afterwards?
Stock Down: Connor Cook (Michigan State)He returned to Michigan State first and foremost to win a national championship. So far Connor Cook is keeping to that goal as the Spartans remain undefeated. However, his other goal to be a top 10 pick in the draft won’t be helped by a rather unremarkable performance against Central Michigan.
He finished the afternoon just 11-for-19 passing for 143 yards and a touchdown, adding three runs for 16 yards. There were no turnovers, which is good but from an individual perspective this isn’t beneficial to Cook. This will be looked at as game management, and against an opponent they frankly should’ve handled even easier than they did.
Stock Down: Kevin Hogan (Stanford)
At the end of last season, many felt Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan had a good chance to be the latest quarterback drafted in the first round from their program since Andrew Luck. Steadily though, over the past few weeks the buzz on the senior has cooled considerably.
After an ugly opener against Northwestern, Hogan hasn’t had any highlight games and didn’t help his cause when visiting Oregon State. Though the Cardinal won handily, he finished just 9-of-14 for 163 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. In fairness it was against a solid pass defense but given the favorable matchups he had thanks to his ground game, he could’ve done a lot better.
Stock Up: Christian Hackenberg (Penn State)
Most feel that junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg has the pedigree and skill set of a top 5 pick but has constantly been undermined by Penn State both in terms of his offensive line and the shaky play calling on offense. Even though many don’t hold that against him, it was becoming difficult to see him staying in the 1st round conversation without showing signs of progress.
Scouts finally got that as Hackenberg came alive to lead the Nittany Lions on an offensive spurt over San Diego State. He threw 35 times, completing 21 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. There is still plenty of work to do, but this is a step in the right direction.
AgamemnonI just thought I would look at some stuff from last year, in case the Rams don’t go with plan A, B, or C of the fans popular ideas to trade up for a QB. 😉
Randy Karraker said about a month after the draft, that the Rams would have take Cook at #10, over T Gurley.
Agamemnon
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