Weaknesses

Cook has three big knocks heading into the draft on Thursday — one on the field, the other two threaten to keep him off.

Injury History —

First, Cook has a history of injuries. He has had three shoulder surgeries since high school and was hampered with a hamstring injury in 2015. In addition to his history of injury, some NFL scouts fear that Cook’s size will hinder him in the NFL as an interior, downhill thumper, and increase his risk to future injuries.

Ball Security —

Cook’s biggest on-the-field liability is his ball security. The former-Seminole racked up 13 fumbles in college and dropped more than a handful of passes out of the backfield. While he has the skill the take over the starting RB on Day 1 in the NFL, he has a history of coughing up the ball that can cost him the job on Day 2. If there is one thing NFL coaches do not like, it is a player who has a penchant for giving the ball to the other team.

Legal Issues —

Cook decided to compound his ball security issues with off the field character concerns. For better or worse (probably for the worse), Cook has fought the law and won — time and time again. In high school, he had an incident with a BB gun and some car windows. Then, Cook received two citations by the Tallahassee Animal Services for tethering three puppies together by their necks with a heavy chain. None of the dogs could move, and the two smaller puppies were choking. As if minor property damage and animal abuse were not enough, Cook decided to pad his rap sheet with an assault charge.

In 2015, a woman accused Cook of choking her and punching her in the face outside of Florida nightclub. The difference between Cook and Joe Mixon could very well just be the existence of surveillance tape. The BB gun and animal abuse citations were ultimately dropped, and Cook was found not-guilty of the assault based on the eye-witness testimony of his teammates and because a Tallahassee Police Officer said that the victim’s injuries did not look consistent with being hit by a football player. It’s Tallahassee, what do you expect? Six players have been charged with violence against women during Jimbo Fisher’s tenure.