Mike Wallace

Patriots WR Brandin Cooks has been impressive throughout the offseason, and he has put on a clinic against the Jaguars during two days of joint practices at Gillette Stadium. Remarkably, despite actively scheming to defend the deep post, the Jaguars still were vulnerable to Cooks’ speed.

Cooks is anything but a one-trick pony. His route tree is complete, and he is lethal when he builds off his deeper patterns. By comparison, the Patriots used to shrug off less-defined opposing deep threats like Mike Wallace who only ran one route. That’s easier for a smart defense to contain.

Cooks does it all, and when he decides to turn on the jets, the artist can turn the field into his blank canvas.

When receivers change teams, they usually experience a dip in production unless they see an upgrade at quarterback or an increased role. Cooks is unlikely to see significantly more targets, so given his 2nd- or 3rd-round ADP, he’s not without some risk. Camp reports of Cooks have been glowing, so it appears that he’s quickly earning the trust of Tom Brady. The Patriots aren’t going to force him the ball, so he’s bound to have a few down games, but he should be a key cog in what’s shaping up to be the league’s best offense.