Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook is arguably the most debated prospect in this year's upcoming draft, as many scouts and draft analysts are split on his talent and ability to lead a team at the next level.
Reports surfaced earlier this offseason that the Spartans quarterbacks' teammates were "less than effusive" about their quarterback, and after a horrendous performance against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, many had him sliding out of the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
While many doubt Cook's ability to lead a team at the next level, former NFL head coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden gave him high praises, saying that he is the best quarterback in this year's draft class. That's a huge statement about Cook, as it places him above both California's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, who most have been projecting as the clear top two quarterback prospects in this years draft.
Many NFL draft analysts are placing Cook as the fourth best quarterback in this year's draft behind Wentz, Goff and Memphis' Paxton Lynch. The 6-foot-4, 217-pound Spartans quarterback took a significant hit to his draft stock in his senior season, as many saw him as one of the top two quarterback prospects before the emergence of Wentz and Lynch during the 2015 college football season.
Cook finished the 2015 season with his worst completion percentage since his freshman season, completing 56.1 percent of his passes for 3,131 yards and throwing 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions. The Spartans quarterback's struggles against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl will likely scare some teams away, as he completed 48.7 percent of his passes for 210 yards and threw two interceptions with no touchdowns.
While Cook doesn't deserve all the blame for the 38-0 loss to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, it clearly hasn't helped his draft stock. Despite his poor play in big moments in his senior season, multiple teams like that he is ready for a pro-style offense, and that he took snaps under center during his college career. "He has all the pieces but he's never put the puzzle together," one former NFL general manager said. "Coordinators and quarterback coaches always think they can fix those kinds of guys so they fight the hardest for them in the draft rooms I've been in."
Gruden likely isn't the only one who thinks extremely highly of the Spartans prospect, and one team will surely take a chance on him early in the draft, as it will probably just depend on whether he lands in the first or second round.
