Jacob Cowing 2024 NFL Draft Profile
In a loaded 2024 NFL Draft class for Wide Receivers, it is very easy for some solid guys to fall through the cracks. We are likely going to see some late day two and even day three guys have nice rookie seasons and go on to be decent pros. I think that Arizona’s Jacob Cowing could fall into that category. He may have not had the best Senior Bowl or Combine but I think there is more meat on this bone to be had. What does his draft profile look like? Let’s talk about it.
Cowing started his career at UTEP, using a huge 2021 season (69 catches, 1,354 yards, and seven touchdowns) to help him transfer to Arizona for a bigger role. In his two seasons with the Wildcats, he had 175 catches for 1,882 yards and 20 touchdowns. Cowing played a little outside while with UTEP but lined up primarily as slot receiver during his time with Arizona.
As I mentioned before, I think Jacob Cowing has a lot to offer as playing in the slot. He is quicker than he is fast, which paired with his ability to beat press off the line of scrimmage makes him useful on underneath to short routes. The tape showed more broken tackles than I expected for someone of his stature (5’8, 170 lbs). Arizona also gave him a lot of option routes on short to intermediate throws, and he displayed good awareness to make the right decision. There’s also something to be said for someone who scored 20 touchdowns in two seasons.
I don’t think the route tree is as limited as some scouts are making it seem, but I would say that a fair amount of his routes need to be sharper. The cuts aren’t sharp they feel more rounded off, causing a lack of good separation. Cowing was also plagued with drops, especially in Arizona. Not having the largest wingspan shortens his catch radius, but I think some of that can be corrected with sharper routes. The routes can also be helped by cleaning up his footwork as well, as the tape showed a few slips, especially on out-breaking routes.
I’d be happy to grab someone like Jacob Cowing in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Using a day two pick just isn’t something I would like to do based on the issues running the routes and the drops, but similar to my profile on Devontez Walker, seen here, I would make him catch an absurd amount of balls every day before getting into camp. We can work on refining the routes in camp. But I think I’m in.
Click here for more NFL Draft profiles!
