PROS
- A highly productive, three-year starter in one of the top five football conferences in college football.
- An instinctive player that keeps with the ground game and is able to get in on a lot of tackles.
- Able to shield himself from blocks that completely divert him from making the play. Is known to fight through blocks to get to the ball carrier.
- A hard-worker all the way through.
CONS
- Below average athleticism. A very slow player for the linebacker position.
- Struggles in changing direction. Stiff hips lead to taking him out of the play once a runner cuts it back to the opposite field.
- Will struggle mightily in any type of coverage. Looks uncomfortable in an underneath zone and doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with HBs or TEs consistently.
Special Notes:
- Turns 23 in June.
- Former high school quarterback.
Projection: 4th to 5th round
- While Cole gets the 'overachiever' tag, there are some legitimate concerns about how effective he'll be on the field. I think he's a two-down linebacker, either middle or strongside (experienced doing both) that has to come out in obvious passing situations. But he's a core type of player that you'd love to have on your team for his hard work and potential contributions on special teams.
