(Photo via USAToday) It was a pretty uneventful weekend when it came to the NFL Draft and the Arizona Wildcats. The thought was that a few Wildcats would hear their name called, especially on Day 3. Unfortunately, that did not happen. However, there were three former Wildcats who did sign with NFL programs as undrafted free agents. Let's take a look at who signed and where. J.J. Taylor, RB, New England PatriotsIt is shocking that Taylor wasn't drafted, especially over someone like Lamical Perine, who was drafted by the New York Jets in the 4th round. Even so, Taylor was still able to find his way to the NFL. Shortly after the Draft was concluded, Taylor signed an free agent deal with the New England Patriots. This is a perfect landing spot for Taylor. The Pats have a knack for effectively using backs with Taylor's skillset. Recent examples of this include James White and Dion Lewis. Lewis is a powerful runner and a solid receiver out of the backfield. White is an absolute stud as a backfield receiver and a decent runner as well. Taylor is a great mix of both players, He is a powerful, wrecking ball-like runner who can punish defenders who try to tackle him. He is also a dangerous receiver out of the backfield and became a big safety net for Arizona's quarterbacks the past two seasons. Taylor should be able to thrive in Foxboro and I'd expect him to make the roster. Was labeled as New England's best undrafted free agent signing by 247Sports' Riley Gates. Jace Whittaker, CB, Arizona CardinalsWhittaker was another Wildcat that was expected to hear his name called. Much like Taylor, he didn't get to experience that thrill. Also like Taylor, he landed in a great spot for him. The Cards have some good defensive backs for Whittaker to work with and learn from. What rookie DB wouldn't want to learn from Patrick Peterson, Budda Baker, or even young Byron Murphy Jr? Whittaker can bring a lot to an NFL team. He has great instincts and has a knack for making plays on the ball. He was one of the best cover corners in the Pac-12 during his career at Arizona and that is something that I think can help him at the next level. I expect Whittaker to make the Practice Squad for his first year in the NFL. Was labeled as Arizona's best undrafted free agent signing by 247Sports' Riley Gates. Khalil Tate, WR, Philadelphia EaglesI like this move for Tate. As a matter of fact, during the Rivals Camp in Los Angeles five years ago, he participated as a receiver and beat some of the best DBs out West. What's more, he made it look easy.
Tate could thrive in Philadelphia. The Eagles have a good track record of having success with QB-turned-WR players, a la Greg Ward. Tate trained with former Eagle QB Donovan McNabb before the draft and it makes total sense why the Eagles signed him. Besides his connection with McNabb, Tate presents a unique weapon to Philly's offense. It is entirely plausible that the Eagles can, and will, draw up plays similar to what New Orleans executes with Taysom Hill. Get Jalen Hurts out on the field behind center with Tate split out wide, and it could spell chaos for opposing defenses. Despite what many people may believe, I think that Tate could carve out a niche in the City of Brotherly Love and stick with the team.
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(Photo via Arizona Athletics) The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the entire sporting world. For college football teams, including the Arizona Wildcats, that means no spring football. However, it's not just current Wildcat players who have been affected. A handful of NFL-hopeful former 'Cats have been affected in a big way. The more time passes, the more it becomes apparent Arizona's Pro Day won't happen. Pro Days are a great way to get players who weren't invited to the NFL Combine in front of NFL scouts to workout and test in many of the same drills run at the Combine. J.J. Taylor was the only Arizona player to be invited to the Combine this year, meaning all other former 'Cats were relying on their Pro Days. But former 'Cats won't let that stop them. Multiple players have conducted taped individual Pro Days and sent the results to all 32 NFL teams. One such player to complete his Pro Day is safety Tristan Cooper. The El Paso native had a fairly successful career while playing in Tucson. Cooper finished his career with the 'Cats with 123 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and 9 passes broken up. He was a multi-year starter for Arizona, with his sophomore season the only year he didn't start...and he lost that role to now Tennessee Titan Dane Cruikshank. I caught up with Cooper last week to discuss how his offseason and training have gone, as well as a few other topics. Read on below for the interview. Brandon Combs: How has training gone for you this offseason? How has COVID-19 affected you and your training? Tristan Cooper: "It's actually been really smooth. I decided to stay back in El Paso. I felt like I had everything I wanted back here. You know I was thinking about going to train in California, but it was just very convenient staying here. I have my own car, my own place to stay, dudes are taking care of me. So training was smooth. I didn't really know how, I guess, consistent it would be or frustrating it could get. I was training probably six days a week. Sometimes you have two-a-days, so you'll be on the field or the weight room. It was like 'Dang, okay. I'm back on a schedule that I was really trying to get away from in college.' But you're going to need that again in the NFL. "Just doing that, and with this crisis going on, I told someone else I was battling with some demons on this. I was telling Jace (Whittaker): 'Man of course it would happen our year. What are the odds? What's the luck that we get that this would happen our year? Our Pro Days are probably cancelled. People were saying it's postponed, but it's most likely cancelled.' But Jace was the one that gave me the idea: 'Yeah, I'm doing an individual one in Las Vegas.' I said, 'Oh, that's smart!' It makes perfect sense because the probability of having to reschedule Pro Day is very unlikely. "So doing all that, getting my mind right for that, it was something that was very tough. I got hit with some adversity. But I went through with it and I like my results." Brandon: Speaking of results, what were the results of your Pro Day? Cooper: "I actually did pretty good. I will post a link with my numbers later. But I did pretty well. I will let you know I measured in at 6-foot-2, 201 (pounds). You know they have been putting weight on me down here, which I kind of didn't want to, but I felt good with it. I want to be the fastest, move the best as I possibly can on Pro Day, you know? When I figured out this weight they were putting on me was good, and I was pretty mobile, I kept it. "As for the numbers, I was pretty satisfied with them. However, the weather was a little windy and I live in a desert, so it was a little dusty. So that was one thing that irked me. I was thinking, 'You know what? Maybe I should reschedule it for Tuesday.' I did it Monday. Well, thank God I didn't because they shut everything down on Tuesday. That's when we went into lockdown and all that in El Paso. So that was my luck too." Brandon: During your training this offseason, have any NFL scouts reached out to you and shown interest? Cooper: "They've reached out to my agent, the (Miami) Dolphins and the (San Francisco) 49ers. They were talking about where I am projected. They are all saying undrafted, that someone will pick me up. Which I'll probably be fine going undrafted, you know? I don't feel like I was given enough attention this year, like being able to be on a big watchlist. So I was perfectly fine with undrafted, as long as I make it on a squad. I know I can play ball, my tape shows I can play ball. Film doesn't lie. I'm not really worried a lot about what people say because, at the end of the day, things can switch up. Rounds can switch up, draft picks can switch up. With how all this crazy stuff's going on with this virus, a lot of things can change." Brandon: Now that your college career is over, how do you view your time at Arizona? Cooper: "It taught me a huge lesson. Being from El Paso and a two-star prospect, it was a grind. I love the University of Arizona. Some things I didn't agree with. Some people I enjoyed playing for, some people I didn't. Overall, though, it taught me how to be resilient. That was something that was very hard because I wasn't really hit with much adversity in high school. Everyone in high school is the man on their team. So going there and playing, it was a great experience and an eye-opener. I don't regret anything. I loved going there and playing. I learned a lot and, hopefully, I can continue my career in the NFL and represent Arizona again." Brandon: Personally, what was your favorite play you had while at Arizona? Cooper: "I was, of course, last year's Oregon hit. Everything was going so good in that game. I remember we destroyed them and they were ranked in the to 20 I think. To this day people bring it up. That was something that was very memorable for me. Not just because it was a big hit, but also because we destroyed them. That was something a lot of people never saw coming. I bet you a lot of people on our team didn't even see that coming. Being able to shock the critics and then being able to go celebrate with your team after, which was probably the wildest celebration we had at the University of Arizona while I was there. It was a great experience, the whole night." Brandon: That hit reminded me of Will Parks' hit on Jordan Villamin in 2015. Cooper: "I know! They were like, 'How do you think your hit compares to Will Parks'?' I said, 'You know, I think Will Parks' was a little more savage.' So he'll have that. And he even commented on it, saying things like 'good stuff' and 'keep your head up.' He was just encouraging me. It was cool, but I for sure remember his hit too." Brandon: What do you want NFL teams and scouts to know about what you can bring to the field for them? Cooper: "Of course size. I think I will pass an eye test, but that's not the main thing. I thought my biggest specialty was my physicality and tackling. Go and watch every game this past season, let me know how many tackles I missed. I'm not going to tell you how many I missed because I promise you, it's going to be very hard to find them. When people ask how many tackles I have, I'm going to be real, I don't even count those...I count the ones I miss. Those are the ones I remember play-by-play. What didn't I read right? Being a sure tackler, being physical, being able to play in the box, and being able to guard the tight ends, I feel like I was a pretty good nickel or SPUR. Being able to play in the box, play the slot receiver, just being able to play that great hybrid position." Brandon: What aspect do you feel you have improved upon the most, from your first game as a true freshman to your last against Arizona State? Cooper: "I think being more confident and comfortable. Man-to-man was always a struggle for me. We didn't run much man in high school, so I didn't really get the techniques down. So being able to transition from high school to college was pretty hard for me. But getting with my DB coaches, getting to learn their techniques throughout the years, that really helped me a lot. I was always a pretty good tackler, making sure I got every little thing down with tackling and perfecting it, I thought I did a pretty good job this year. To this day I still want to get my man-to-man a little bit better and my zone coverage, being able to anticipate things a little better. "I did, however, improve my man-to-man a lot, especially since my freshman year. If you watch my freshman film, you'll see how timid I was and how inconsistent I was in my technique. I did give up my only two touchdowns this year in man-to-man, so that sucked. Overall, I thought I did a pretty decent job guarding man-to-man in the slot." Brandon: What message do you have for players who have a dream to play in the NFL? Cooper: "You got to stay focused. For me, battling for my position all four years, you're going to find out if you want it or you don't. I was never content with getting my spot taken. I got my spot taken by a good friend of mine, Dane Cruikshank, my sophomore year. I understand that as big of a competitor I was, I knew that I was going to try to beat him out. Sometimes you just get a dude put in front of you and you're like, 'Damn alright, well I don't think I'm going to beat him out.' Being able to improvise and learn so much from him and his man-to-man coverage. Dane and Jace, they would always break down things for me, especially the man-to-man techniques. "Also, being able to learn little things. You know, even if you do some little things better than your competition, you can also learn a lot from someone else who does certain things better than you do. You got to be able to apply yourself to the book, to the film, things like that. You can't just go out there and be good. Maybe some people can, but that is very rare. Being book smart, as well as football smart, is a big thing for me." Cooper is a very detail oriented, studious player that has a legit chance to be picked up during free agent signings after the draft.
I really like his physicality and tackling ability that he brings to the field. He was not lying when he stated he doesn't miss a lot of tackles, often finishing plays where the carrier already broke free from another defender. His coverage game definitely has taken multiple steps up from when he arrived to campus as well. His junior season was extremely impressive from a coverage standpoint, finishing that year with a career-high six pass breakups. I wish Tristan the best of luck in his endeavors as he works his way to fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL! |