The NFL draft (The "Did Connor Cook urinate in someone's cereal?" edition)

First of all, let me start with the good news. The Tennessee Titans traded up and selected Jack Conklin with the 8th pick in the first round. It's great to see the former walk-on from tiny Plainwell, Michigan make good. I know he'll work his tail off and I wish him the best.


What exactly has Connor Cook done to turn off so many people? I just don't get it. Yes, he has a quirky personality, but couldn't the same be said for Joe Namath and Jim McMahon (just to name a few "free-spirited" quarterbacks off the top of my head). And while on the subject of free-spiritedness, doesn't that often come with the territory when discussing quarterbacks?


I can understand why the Los Angeles Rams drafted Jared Goff with the first pick. He's a local kid from Cal who will sell tickets. And maybe he'll turn out to be a great quarterback. After all, he did play in the PAC-12. Clearly, he also has a big time arm with 4719 yards passing last season and 43 touchdown passes. But I'm not sold on Carson Wentz. North Dakota State? Yes, he has the size that NFL scouts look for in a quarterback, and his numbers were good--but I'm just not sold. Okay, I get it, North Dakota State won three NCAA Divison II national championships with Wentz at quarterback, but the Bison pretty much own Division II football. They've won 12 national championships. (Thank you, Wikipedia).


Maybe Connor Cook's stats aren't as eye-popping as Goff's and Wentz's, but 9194 career passing yards (in three seasons) with 71 touchdowns and only 22 interceptions is not too shabby. In addition to that, Cook led MSU to a 36-5 record as a starter, with two Big Ten championships and two bowl victories--three bowl victories if one counts the 2012 Buffalo Wilds Wings Bowl in which Cook took over for a struggling Andrew Maxwell. Though Cook's numbers in that game were pedestrian at best, he provided a spark that the Spartans needed to achieve that come-from-behind victory.


Not only was Cook a great player on the field, but he never got into any trouble. By all accounts, he was a good student and law-abiding citizen. Am I just looking at this through green-tinted glasses? I don't understand why Connor Cook is still on the board.