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Perhaps one of the most underrated prospects into the 2010 draft class, Chris Cook has had countless problems in college, but his natural athletic ability, and intangibles make him and intriguing prospect for any NFL team looking for secondary help, and in particular any team that likes to employ some press coverage.

He has some problems with injuries however, in 2005 he suffered a broken leg during the 5th game of the season against Boston College. He missed some time in 2007 with a sprained knee, and the entire 2008 season with academic ineligibility. He worked his way back, and in 2009 he enjoyed his best campaign.

An impressive Senior Bowl appearance means that he is again on the radar, and after running an impressive time at the NFL combine, he could find himself being taken in the 3rd round or even maybe late 2nd, an improvement on where some were projecting as he left Virginia.

Chris took took part in a Q&A for Scout.com at the Senior Bowl:

The interception must have been sweet.

A: Yeah, I was standing on the sideline and just had a feeling I was going to get one. That play came and I made the play.

This is a really good group of corners. Do you see that as a measuring stick for yourself?

A: Everyone's pretty good. I haven't seen anyone that's a slouch. I can't say anything bad about our whole group. Everyone's very talented.

Career Stats

2005- 5 games played, 6 tackles, 2 passes broken up, 1 interception

2006- 12 games played, 58 tackles, 5 passes broken up, 1 interception

2007- 9 games played, 39 tackles, 6 passes broken up, 1 interception

2008- Was not enrolled at Virginia

2009- 12 games played, 40 tackles, 6 passes broken up, 4 interceptions

Combine Results

40 Time: 4.46

Bench Reps: 7

Vertical: 38"

Broad: 11'00

More after the jump

What does Chris Cook Do Well:

6'2, 210lb's and 4.46 speed, that's impressive. I'm surprised he didn't put more up on the bench press. He is pretty smooth with his hips and uses his hands well in press coverage. Has a good eye for the ball and he takes excellent angles to the ball carrier, recognition of the play is solid, tackling is decent. One of the better corners in this draft with his run support, has a very long frame which enables him to get a hold of ball carriers. He has excellent timing in the air, and will compete physically.

What does Chris Cook Need To Improve on:

His coverage even in press becomes too soft, happy to let the receiver take the completion and then bring him down, worried about letting up the big play so keeps a lot of the play in front of him. Needs to show more commitment in the run game, that is a strength of his he needs to focus on that, one image is of Dwyer running straight over him. His commitment in general can be questioned he was suspended for the 2007 Gator Bowl because of academics, and the entire 2008 season. Doesn't have a great first step, so playing off receivers could lead to a lot of completions.

Final Word

I'm not Chris Cook's biggest fan, he has all the athletic ability but his commitment doesn't seem to be there for me. I would only consider him if he fell to the 4th, and I can't see that happening. His ability to play both safety and corner, and have the range is nice to have, but his injury problems would also worry me. His strength has also come into question after only putting up 7 repetitions on the 225lb lift. There is a possibility he could put it all together in the NFL, but there are a lot of good cornerbacks in this class that I would take before him that are rated below him. Heard that the Dallas Cowboys are very interested in him.

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