Brandin Cooks isn't the first player that comes to mind for the Los Angeles Rams.
After all, Aaron Donald is a two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and probably the best player in the NFL. Donald doesn't even play on the side of the ball that's propelled his team to what seems like perennial Super Bowl contention, either. Jared Goff does, and he's quickly developing into a premier NFL quarterback, the type that can be counted on for Pro Bowl berths on an annual basis. Then there's Todd Gurley, one of the most natural runners in all of football and a looming deep threat out of the backfield – at least when he's not standing next to Sean McVay on the sidelines, helmet in hand.
But despite his relative lack of stardom compared to more high-profile teammates, Cooks is still absolutely integral to the formula that makes Los Angeles an upper-echelon contender. He's track-and-field fast, with elite quick-twitch cutting ability and a keen understanding of how to beat defenses over the top and track the ball in the air. The mere presence of Cooks stretches defenses thin, creating space for his teammates to make plays when he's not the one catching the ball.
Of course, he can certainly do that, too. According to Pro Football Focus, Cooks caught 45.8 percent of the deep throws he was targeted with last season, the eighth-best mark in the NFL.
Brandin Cooks hauled in 45.8% of the deep passes thrown his way in 2018 – the 8th-highest mark in the league. pic.twitter.com/8G77DC3e8b
— PFF (@PFF) May 3, 2019
Reminder: Cooks wasn't with the Rams until last April, when he was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots. Just imagine what he and the Rams will be able to do offensively once they get more time player together.
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