Chris Cook was a 2nd round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2010. His size and speed were exceptional for a cornerback in the NFL and he seemed to have all they physical pieces necessary to be a shutdown corner in the NFL. However, mental lapses and off the field issues kept him from realizing his potential and he ended up being labeled a bust before not being signed back to the Vikings.
Aug 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Cook (22) during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
He ended his time with the Vikings not tallying a single regular season interception and defending only 14 passes and leaving fans in Minnesota happy for his exit.
It didn’t take too long for Chris Cook to find a new home though. The San Francisco 49ers must have seen the same things in him that the Vikings did when they drafted him. In fact, some experts said that they expect him to be used in a similar way to Richard Sherman in Seattle. Many Vikings fans laughed at the idea that he could be a relevant part of any defense in the NFL after seeing him struggle for so long in Minnesota.
And then the preseason happened.
Chris Cook absolutely dominated the competition so far. Here are the statistics he accumulated over his 3 preseason games (he sat out game 4):
- 2 interceptions
- 5 passes defended
- 5 total tackles
- Allowed 1 catch for 6 yards on 9 targets
- 0.0 quarterback rating when targeted
Why is Chris Cook experiencing success outside Minnesota? Was it a coaching issue? Was he being used wrong in the schemes? A fresh start doing him good? Or is this just a fluke with a small sample size?
It will be interesting to see if Chris Cook can keep up this kind of dominance during the regular season when he gets his opportunities. If so, Minnesota may have made a huge mistake letting him go.