Oregon State WR Brandin Cooks 2014 NFL Draft Profile

Nov 23, 2013; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Brandin Cooks (7) scores a touchdown against the Washington Huskies in the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

There is something about the wide receiver position that I fall in love with at draft time every year. Last season, I had man crush on Tavon Austin. When the Chargers landed Keenan Allen in the 3rd round I was ecstatic.

This season, the team is looking to add another receiver in the draft onto the roster and I am enjoying watching all the tape of the receivers in this draft class. There is a lot of talent that will be available.

This offseason, the Chargers made a push for Steve Smith and there were a lot of fans that wanted the team to get in on the DeSean Jackson bandwagon. Some fans were afraid of Jackson’s attitude, gang affiliation and bad locker room presence though. There is a player in this draft that has the skills of a Jackson or Smith, but that doesn’t carry the extra baggage. That player is Oregon State WR Bradin Cooks.

Cooks’s downfall is his size. He isn’t super tiny, but he doesn’t have the ideal height for the position. What he does bring is speed, athleticism and explosiveness. The kid is also confident. Here is Cooks talking about DeSean Jackson and how he thinks he can play the game better:

“His game is unbelievable. The man can blow the top off, catch the deep routes, catch the underneath routes, produce in the return game. He’s just special. He’s a freak. I definitely admire his game,” Cooks said, according to philly.com. “Maybe Chip Kelly is looking to take another speedy receiver in that first round, and that could be me. Who knows? And if that’s the case, a lot of people will wonder, ‘Can he do it like DeSean Jackson?’ In my opinion, I can do it like him and do it better.”

Cooks is explosive. He brings a dimension on the field that the Chargers are missing. He is that home run threat that the team does not have. He is explosive after the catch and can bring all the tools that Steve Smith or Desean Jackson would have brought to this team. If the Chargers were interested in adding Steve Smith, then they definitely should be interested in bringing in Brandin Cooks.

If Cooks is available with the 25th selection, he will be a name that the Chargers could write on that paper. The Charger offense would be upgraded to another level with the addition of Cooks.